Sunshine and Rain
by CykeclopsFF7
Summary: An unexpected injury sends Sora to the FF7 World, destroying any notion of what is real and what is fantasy. While there, he finds unlikely ally who will not only help him sort out his past, but both of their futures.While uncovering a conspiracy that is larger than both of them, the two will have to learn to lean on each other to live again. (Note: This is *not* a slash/yaoi fic.)
1. Sunshine and Rain: Prologue

**Sunshine and Rain: Prologue**

Sora yawned as he stared up into the fluffy clouds that passed overhead in the Destiny Islands. The sun was warming his face as a cool breeze gently rocked the hammock tied between two palm trees. Nothing could get any better than a lazy day here, he thought. His eyes felt heavier, sandbags slowly pulling down his eyelids until *something* set the hammock rocking violently, unceremoniously dumping him into the sandy beaches below. Pppfth…sand…Why did it have to be sand? A wooden sword dropped right in front of his face with a thunk.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku towered over him with his hands on his hips. "Are you going to fight me or are you going to just lie there all afternoon?!"

Sora wiped off the sand from his face and grinned. He rolled onto his back underneath the still rocking hammock. "I dunno, Riku." He yawned lazily as he put his hands beneath his head. "I think today's a great day for a nap, don't you?"

"No, I don't…" Riku rolled his eyes and looked off into the distance. "I've got a bad feeling…"

Sora began to slowly inch his hand toward the wooden sword as Riku was distracted. "You've always gotta bad feeling…" 

"Well, *somebody's* got to take care of this island…"He snorted incredulously as he failed to notice Sora's fingers wrapping around the hilt of the sword. "I don't see you doing anything to help…"

Sora grinned as he leapt to his feet. "Then, maybe you should be paying more attention!"

"Pft…" Riku smirked as he blocked Sora's first blow. "You're nothing but a lazy, good for nothing…"

Sora tightened the grip on his sword. "Flattery will get you NOWHERE!" Sora's sword again collided with Riku's as Sora began to advance. Riku began to retreat toward the water. "Ha! You're on the run!" He grinned. I'm going to put all of my strength into one blow. He'll never know what hit'im! " EYAAAAH!" Sora charged, but Riku only smirked as he side-stepped, causing Sora to careen wildly into the water. Great…First sand….now water…Sora thought as he shook his head, flinging water all over Riku.

"HEY!" Riku yelped as Sora climbed out of the water.

And the fight began anew, until a sweet female voice drifted down the beach. "Hey guys!" Kairi waved as the picnic basket wrapped around her arm swung. Sora glanced up, immediately distracted by her lovely voice and the mention of lunch. Unfortunately, Sora didn't see the blow that landed squarely on top of his head. He heard Kairi scream and Riku yelp in surprise and then shout in his own defense. The world started to spin mercilessly until he felt the urge to hurl vomit on Riku's sneakers. He was vaguely aware when Riku ran off to find bandages, but what he was most aware of was Kairi cradling his head in her lap. For all he cared, Riku could stay gone for days! He heard Kairi begin to cry, and he tried to reach for her. Kairi…don't cry…I'm okay, he wanted to say, but his mouth couldn't form the words. The day was beginning to grow darker…It couldn't be dark this early…He could still see the sun. He felt himself getting sleepier as Riku arrived with the bandages, and began to slowly wrap his head. The pain had since turned into a dull ache and his eyes began to slowly close. The last thing that he remembered was the fuzzy image of a familiar woman in his mind. Something made that made his heart long…yet he could not remember who she was.

Sora awoke in the bottom bunk in the bedroom he shared with Riku on the island. When he glanced to the left, he found Riku soundly asleep in the chair in the corner. Sora frowned. He must have felt really guilty to carry me all the way back here. He heard breathing on the top bunk, and realized that Kairi must have stayed as well to make sure he was okay. He slowly turned his head toward the window, awarding him with one of the worst headaches he could remember. He saw the moon was high in the night sky, and exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. There were a lot of things about this afternoon he didn't remember, he realized, but one thing that was still in the forefront of his mind was the feelings he felt for the strange woman in the fuzzy vision. A warmness fluttered inside his stomach, and his heart leapt with such electricity when he thought about her that it confused him until he began to compare the feelings he was having to love…and especially the love Kairi had for her grandmother. But this lady wasn't old…She had a bright smile, brown hair like mine….He bolted up in bed despite the pain. Could this woman have been my mother?

"Riku!" Sora hissed. "Riku! Wake up!"

Riku snorted and blinked rapidly. "Oh…You're up…" Riku yawned. "Do you need something?"

"Riku! I think I remember my mother!" Sora exclaimed.

Riku rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Sora…Go back to bed. You're going to wake up, Kairi…"

"But I remember my MOTHER!" Sora exclaimed emphatically. Surely, he wasn't the only one who thought this was a big deal. Neither he nor Riku knew what happened to their parents, and now he remembered his mother!

"You got hit on the head, Sora…" Riku leaned back in his chair. "You see strange things when you get cracked on the head…Go to bed."

"But, but…" Sora whined. "She had brown hair like I did… You gotta believe me, Riku! Okay, fine. We'll ask Kairi. She has a Grandma. She'll know if she was my mother…."

Riku sat up again, this time he was visibly angry with his fists balled at his sides. "It wasn't your mother. Don't bother Kairi with this nonsense! Now. Go. To. Bed."

Sora stuck out his tongue at Riku after he had leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Fine. He would just talk to Kairi another time when he wasn't around. It wasn't he like he could say when he could or couldn't talk to Kairi. He slowly lay back down on his own pillow. "I know that was my mother…"He whispered softly.

A cold, bitter wind blew in from the open window, shivering Sora to the core. "What the…?" They never had icy breezes on the Destiny Islands. Sora sat up again and looked out the window, seeing nothing but a gull nesting in a nearby palm. The wind blew again, this time bringing what he thought was the sound of muffled voices with it. Riku was right. He didn't want to wake Kairi up in the middle of the night, and Riku was pissed at him as it was…He slowly swung his feet around to the edge of the bed, and managed to finally stand after a few wobbily tries. He grabbed Riku's wooden sword, and headed out of the straw hut quietly.

The sand crunched softly underneath his bare feet as he walked into the direction of the wind. The light of the full moon made everything seem somewhat surreal and if not a little bit creepy as Sora continued to listen for the mysterious voices.

"He hit his head…" The voices of the wind seemed to whisper. Sora stopped. "They're talking about me?" He tried to listen harder, but the whips of the wind were distorting what they were saying.

"Everything we've worked for will be undone if he's not recalibrated…" Another voice whispered. Sora pivoted on his heel, raising the wooden sword, which now seemed totally inadequate. He could run back and get Riku, he scowled, but Riku would just tell him it was all because he hit his head…that he imagined it all. And he wouldn't put Kairi at risk either.

As Sora rounded a corner, he leapt back into hiding, spotting two military trucks next to a swirling vortex that was creating the bitterly cold winds.

"We have to get him back to the laboratory…" The wind voices continued.

Suddenly, a soldier grabbed Sora from behind, cupping his hand over his mouth. Sora bit the soldier's hand, and tried to scream as the man withdrew his hand. Sora's screams fell on deaf ears as the winds drowned them out.

"Just get him to the truck!" A soldier in blue ordered as he sucked on his bit fingers. Two other soldiers grabbed Sora roughly and slammed an injection needle into his side before he could scream again.

"Riku….Kairi…." Sora managed to whisper weakly. "Stay…stay away from Kairi…" Sora fell limp within the soldier's arms.

"Bring him and come on…." The soldier with the bit hand scowled. "We need to get him back to Shin-Ra Headquarters before something *REALLY* goes wrong…."

**Author's Note:** Hi, guys! I'm sure you're wondering "Why are you starting this when you haven't finished "The Apple and the Core"?! Well, rest assured that story is still being written as well! This is just something I'll do alongside of it. It was inspired by a dream I had one night, and the idea just wouldn't go away. This is my first time writing Sora, Riku, and Kairi, so I hope I wrote them fairly well. However, once Sora is taken to the "real world", he may find himself paired with an unexpected person. Stay tuned to find out who that unexpected person will be! Thanks for reading! Please review to let me know how I'm doing. I'd appreciate it!


	2. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Sora slowly awoke to the gentle rocking of a subway train with a horrible pain throbbing from his head. His memory still fuzzy, he reached up to find an oversized bandage that someone had apparently gone out of their way to wrap as tightly as they could to cut off the circulation to his brain. He tried to shake the cobwebs out, only to slowly remember the events on Fantasy Island with a panic. Where were Riku and Kairi? When he leapt to his feet, he was only rewarded with a sickening nausea as the gray décor spun around him tenfold. He earned a glare from one of the guards that clearly read, "Don't you dare. I'm not cleaning that up." When the room finally quit spinning, he cautiously looked around the full train car. "Have you seen Riku or Kairi?" He yelled out, but much to his surprise, no one answered. No one would even acknowledge his presence. "HEY, I SAID…" Sora began to yell anew before he realized he was looking down a gun barrel pointed right in his face.

"They're not going to answer you, and you'd be smart not to ask." The guard sneered as he pulled the barrel away, leaving Sora to uncross his eyes and lean forward in his seat again. As the guard marched back to his post by the door, Sora exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Before the guard turned back around, Sora stuck out his tongue at his back. He then looked back at his oversized sneakers that barely reached the floor as he tried to remember how he had gotten here in the first place. He kicked his feet out into isle, gaining an unfavorably look from his captor, as he tried to remember, but it completely unnerved him that he had no recollection of how he had gotten on this train. He shook his head and then winced at the horrible headache it gave him. It didn't matter: All he knew was that he had to get back to Riku and Kairi. What if something bad had happened to them? He puffed out his chest. "What if they needed him to rescue them?!"

He realized his first order of business was to figure out where "here" was. He looked up and found that the other captives still wouldn't make eye contact with him. He guessed he couldn't blame them. Who would want a gun pointed in their face? He sighed as he turned further toward the window the yellowing lights of the subway tunnel reflecting off his face. Great, he thought, this isn't helping at all. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. He guessed he'd just have to wait until they got off this stupid train…whenever that was.

xxxxx

"ALRIGHT, PRISONERS! LINE UP!" The guard barked as the train slowly pulled into a lonely station. Sora perked up and craned his head toward the window again, but sadly, the station was indistinct and oddly sterile. He suddenly jumped as he felt the barrel of a gun shoved into his side. "That means you too, troublemaker." The guard sneered as he nudged Sora again with the gun. Sora was about to argue with the man about being a trouble maker, but he had already moved to the front of the car. It probably wasn't a good idea to argue with a man with a gun anyway, he realized belatedly.

He leapt off his hard seat and found his place in line between a purple creature with one, half limp wing and a lady who looked greener than any woman had any right being.

"NOW LISTEN UP!" Another guard bellowed from the front of the car. "Each of you will be given a tagging chip to identify you within the lab." Sora raised an eyebrow. The lab? "You are to hold on to that chip until you reach the lab proper where it will be embedded your skin." The guard grinned crookedly. "In the most painful way possible." He decided it was probably best not to cause the guards any more trouble…not that he had planned to cause trouble in the first place.

Sora looked around as the other prisoners continued to keep their heads down. Well, what prisoners he could see…The man with the limp wing was definitely impeding his vision. He stood on his tiptoes to get a better look. The guards began to pass out computer chips as they moved down the line toward him. When they handed Sora his, he stared down at the menacing chip while the words "In the most painful way possible" repeated themselves in his brain. When the doors to the cabin slid open, the passengers began to exit one by one, causing the winged man before him to bump into Sora's hand with his drooping wing.

"Whoops!" Sora exclaimed as the chip hit the floor with a clatter. As he reached down to get it, his oversized feet kicked it, sending it skittering across the train floor. He chased after it, the winged man's broken appendage hiding him completely from the guards' view. He reached for the chip again, but fumbled it. When he finally stood up after catching the darn thing, he realized he wasn't on the same train anymore. There were several people with their heads buried deep within newspapers that didn't seem to pay him any mind. He shrugged as he shoved the chip deep within the deep wells of his pocket. Avoiding pain was just fine with him. He plopped down next to a guy reading "Science Weekly". These seats seemed much nicer and squishier than the last seat he sat in, he realized as he bounced in his seat, winning a glare from the geeky magazine reader. The car also lacked the rank stench and mysterious blood splatters the other car had. As the train pulled away and entered into the darkness, a mechanical voice rang out, "NEXT STOP….DEEP GROUND FACILITY."

xxxx

As the train slowly pulled into the station, butterflies began to flutter in his stomach for an unknown reason. He looked around. The occupants had exited quickly, but that might have been because he farted, he realized with a bit of embarrassment. Darn those butterflies. As he stepped out of the train, he realized that he was almost lost in a sea of white coats. Everyone seemed to be headed in one general direction, and Sora realized that he really didn't have much of a choice in heading that direction either. The geeky individuals didn't seem to be paying much attention to him as they hurriedly shuffled, talking to one another in what seemed like Greek about experiments and chemical compounds. He shuddered. Was it cold in here, or were these scientists really freaky? He continued to get herded toward the door until he spotted two mean looking men in blue suits guarding the entrance, keeping a wary eye on all who entered. When Sora tried to stop his progression, he almost ended up getting trampled on, being pushed through by yet another group of scientists. When the heck did scientists get so darn strong?! Oh, he realized, when they were getting something geeky... He wondered as he got manhandled through the door, the men in blue not taking any notice of him. He guessed he should thank his lucky stars he was short….But as they entered, the scientists began to break apart, finally giving him enough vision to see. What lay before him was a large, somewhat plush, amphitheater and he knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he'd never seen so many scientists! All of them enraptured in what the speaker saying, some asking questions and others were even arguing with the man. The sea of white coat almost blinded his eyes as harsh florescent lights shined down from above, but what was also immediately apparent was that he stuck out like a big spikey-headed, colorfully clothed sore thumb. He immediately panicked, darting to the left behind a row of scientists that smelled like chemicals and horrible body odor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he ducked down behind the last row of seats. His head began to pound as the speaker droned on. He had to find a way outta here! If he stayed in here any longer, he might actually *learn* something! He grimaced.

He peeked around the edge of the row. It was worse than he feared: The other only door out of the amphitheater was at the very bottom, past the many rows of people. He'd never make it all the way down there, and he was sure the men in blue suits wouldn't just leisurely let him stroll right through the one he just came in! He glanced behind him at the door and shuddered. Nope, he needed another plan…and pronto.

Suddenly, one of the scientists threw his jacket back on his seat, partially landing on his head. He glanced up at the white cloth and grinned mischievously: One disguise coming up! He slowly pulled the lab coat off the chair as the man began to argue his point about physics, physiology, or something that started with phys…Sora couldn't keep track, and while the other men around him were distracted he lifted a pair of the thickest, geekiest glasses he could find. He put them on, and just about vomited on the spot. Geez, the man had to be half-blind to wear these things! He ripped them off and popped the lenses out of them. He then turned and looked at a reflection of himself. Pretty geeky, if he said so himself! But the bottom of the lab coat pooled around his ankles. He sighed and hoped to his lucky star that no one noticed. Now, he juuuuuust needed a distraction!

And that's when the blind scientist stood up and started shouting down to the speaker on the amphitheater floor. His face became a color of red that Sora had only previously known to fire trucks and strawberries. Sora ducked behind the chairs again as the scientist pushed through the other scientists in his row and began to march down to the podium, his fists in balls. Sora's eyes widened. Man, he didn't know science meetings included fist fights! Sora scrambled to the edge of the row. All eyes were on the screaming scientists as he marched downed the row….until he fell down the stairs half way through. Sora had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing, but he did feel a little bit bad…After all, he did have the man's glasses.

The entire amphitheater became uproar, some men were laughing while others were rushing to help the poor impaired man up. Sora shot off into the crowd of people, fighting his way past and trying not to trip over the tails of the oversized lab coat. He had just about made to the door when a flash of blue made him freeze in his tracks. He slowly craned his head spotting another man in a blue suit listening intently to a woman with a long brunette ponytail with a love sick expression. Sora frowned. The only way to get out of this building was eight feet in front of him, and one of those guys in the blue suits was sitting in the front row. Sora watched the young man for several minutes, noticing that he didn't seem to be paying any attention to anyone else but young his lady friend. Maybe he could sneak by him….Sora ducked his head against his chest and began to slowly creep across those last eight feet. His heart began to race as he put one foot in front of the other. He had made it exactly four feet when he felt a pair of eyes rest upon him. He didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Sora bolted out the door as fast as could, leaving the amphitheater pandemonium and the man in the blue suit far behind.

**Author's Note:**

Sorry this was so short guys! If I'd ventured into the next scene, this chapter would have gone on forever! I hope you're enjoying this thus far! Please let me know in any reviews or PMs you leave! Thanks for reading!


	3. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 2

Sunshine and Rain

Chapter 2: Running way to Face Your Problems

Sora ran as fast as he could away from the chaos of the amphitheater. He could hear the laughter and shouting as it continued to spew from the open door. He wasn't sure how long he had run, but when he finally tripped over the tails of the long white lab, he fell to the pavement scraping his knees badly. He stripped himself of the blind professor's glasses and the tattered and now bloody lab coat as the tears welled up in his eyes. No, he shook his head. Boys don't cry. Or, at least, that's what Riku always said. He wiped the tears on his back of his arm and looked up, surprised that he had somehow found his way into the middle of a shopping center in the middle of the underground cavern. People of various shapes and sizes were meandering around, buying everything from clothing to food. The stores' neon signs amazed him, as they'd had nothing like them back on Fantasy Island. But as the people passed by him, not seemingly taking their eyes off their current destinations, the more alone Sora felt. Not one person seemed to notice the lost little boy that had somehow managed to lose himself in a world that he was not a part of. Sora stepped backwards against a brick building, his bravado quickly fading as he fell into a cold shadow. He shivered. He rubbed his arms vigorously, trying to warm himself up, but somehow, the chill just wouldn't go away. His stomach rumbled and as he looked down, momentarily distracted, he realized that he couldn't remember the last time he ate. He eased himself down onto his rear end and rested his head on his knees. How was he ever going to rescue Kairi and Riku when he couldn't even rescue himself?

Water dripped from a nearby roof, landing squarely on his spikey head and started running down his face. He shook the water off, but as he stopped, he noticed the same blue suited man who had spotted him in the amphitheater. He froze and pushed his back further against the brick building as his heart pounded. The man hadn't seemed to notice him, though. There were two uneaten ice cream sundaes sitting beside him that were melting beside him, unnoticed. Sora's eyes watered as he stared at the white streams slowly dripping into their untouched cups below. His mouth watered as he could taste the chocolate syrup melting in his mouth. Before he had even realized it, he was formulating a plan to grab the sundae on the corner on the bench and run. All he had to do was run by and grab it before the man even noticed it was missing. Simple, right? Sora sighed guiltily as he slumped against the brick wall. No, it wasn't so simple. No matter how hungry he was, he wouldn't steal from someone, even if they were a stranger. Sora's stomach rumbled again, and he kicked a rock in frustration. He watched in horror as the rock bounced toward man and hit him squarely on the leg on its last bounce. Sora tore down the alleyway, knocking over trashcans as he went. He saw it work in a movie once. Plus, it just seemed like fun! Sora glanced over his shoulder, finding the man chasing after him. His eyes widened as he leapt over the trashcans like they were nothing. What was he?! Trashman? Leaps over trashcans in a single bound?! Sora ran quicker, and turned a corner. He lost track of the black haired man and slowed down to catch his breath. A strong hand suddenly grabbed his lower arm, and Sora began to struggle.

"LET GO OF ME!" Sora screeched as he pulled with his free hand to loosen the man's fingers. Several of the shoppers stopped and stared, but none offered any assistance. Jerks. Sora thought as the man lifted him off of the pavement and left him dangling in midair. Sora swung to the left and bit the man on his gloved hand, causing him to use words that Sora realized he wasn't allowed to use. He didn't let go, though, and Sora began to yell anew.

"Shhh!" Trashman held his freehand up his lips. "If you promise not to run, I'll let you go."

"Yeah, like that'll happen!" Sora shouted back at Trashman as he tried to swing again to bite him. The man sighed as he held the boy outward.

"You're making a scene." The man rolled his eyes. "Look." The man's tired voice made him look up at him. "I'll let you have my other ice cream if you stop." Sora stopped squirming and studied the man's face carefully. He didn't look all that dangerous. If anything, he looked could see the dark circles of sleeplessness and sadness under his eyes. He remembered that he seemed to be waiting to be waiting for someone before. Someone, Sora finally realized who didn't show up.

"…you can put me down now." Sora sighed. "I won't run." Trashman nodded and sat Sora back down on his feet. Sora turned around and looked at the man. "What's your name, Trashma…" Sora cut himself.

"Erm…" The man looked at him, at bewildered before he smiled slightly. "Vincent." The man nodded politely. "Vincent Valentine." Vincent extended his hand to Sora. Now it was his turn to look bewildered. Vincent only snorted and motioned over his back for Sora to follow him back into the alley. Sora peered down into the dark thoroughfare, wrinkling his nose from the now apparent repugnant smell. "You're the one who turned them over…" Vincent shrugged as he disappeared into the darkness.

He looked around, finding himself alone once more on the street. "He..Hey! WAIT, Vincent!" Sora took off down the dark alley after him. "What kind of ice cream did you get anyway?"

~oOo~

Sora was scraping out the last bits of the ice cream from the cup, as Vincent stood by the bench. Every once in a while, he would sigh or pace, but for the most part, he just looked back toward the amphitheater with a forlorn expression. "Are you waiting for that girl?" Sora looked up, ice cream splattered all over his face. Darn it. He was hungry!

"None of your business." Vincent muttered sharply as he finally fell back on the wooden bench, running a hand through his black hair. When Sora began eyeing the second cup, he agitatedly pushed the cup toward Sora without a word. Sora looked between Vincent and the cup curiously, wondering he should really take it. "Go ahead…" Vincent sighed. "She's obviously not coming."

Sora frowned as he reached over and picked up the second cup. There was a long awkward silence as Sora stirred the stewy ice cream with his spoon. "Girls are kinda stupid, aren't they?" When Vincent didn't acknowledge that he said anything, he stuck a spoonful of ice cream soup in his mouth. "One day, they act like they like you," Sora spat a few pieces of ice cream as he spoke. "And then the next, you're like their best friend!" He threw his gloved hands into the air, causing Vincent to chuckle despite himself.

"This one isn't stupid…" Vincent muttered. "This one is one of the smartest people in the Science Department…" Vincent turned to finally face Sora. "She's beautiful from her head to her toe…." Vincent put his hands behind his head as he leaned back on the bench, taking a moment to look at the cavern ceiling. "She's just….confused right now." When Sora raised a skeptical eyebrow, he sighed, "There is also someone else who is vying for her attention." He mumbled as he leaned forward, propping himself up on his elbows. "I can wait." He shrugged.

Sora frowned. "You're one of those big mean guys, right? Why don't you just arrest him or something?" Sora shoved another scoop of ice cream in his mouth.

"You mean a Turk?" Vincent laughed softly. "Yes, I'm a Turk, but I can't arrest him if he didn't break the law, Sora." Vincent shook his head. "As much as I'd like to." He muttered. "It's also more….complicated than that. She's…carrying his child."

Sora blinked. "So why don't you just tell her to put it down?"

Vincent looked astonished. "Sora I can't ask her to abor…." He cut himself off as he realized that Sora took what he said literally. He put his face in his hands. "You don't know where children come from, do you?"

"Sure I do…" Sora managed through scoops. "From the stork." Vincent put his face in his hands and groaned. After several long moments of stunned silence had passed, Sora put the second ice cream cup down and looked at Vincent. "Vincent…since you're a Turk, why are you being so nice to me…?"He looked at Vincent with a distrusting expression, making the young man raise an eyebrow. He looked off into the distance. "Aren't you gonna arrest me and take me back to the lab?"

"Maybe I don't want to." Vincent shrugged grumpily, clearly not wanting to answer the question.

"You get grumpy awfully quickly…" Sora cocked his head to the side.

"Maybe I don't have a lot to be happy about." Vincent sighed.

"Yeah, me neither…" Sora kicked his feet in front of the bench.

Vincent raised a questioning eyebrow. "You seem like a hungry, but happy kid to me…"

"Well, I'm not supposed to be here…" Sora shrugged sadly. "I'm SUPPOSED to be back on Fantasy Island with my friends, Kairi and Riku. I miss them, and I don't know where I am…or how I'm going to rescue…HEY!" Sora leapt from the bench and ran in front of Vincent. He grabbed him by the shoulders. "YOU could help me rescue Riku and Kairi!" When Vincent tried to half-heartedly pull away, Sora tried to shake him. "You're a tough guy AND you have a gun!" He pointed to the weapon holstered on Vincent's belt.

"Sora…" Vincent began as he tried to shoo Sora away.

"Vincent! C'mon, please?!" Sora pleaded. "I know that I can rescue you them with your help!" Sora began to dance around Vincent anxiously, hoping from one foot to the other. "You gotta help me, Vincent! You gotta!"

"Sora!" Vincent's stern voice rose and Sora began to back away. Maybe he really was going to arrest him now. The fear must have been evident of Sora's face, because Vincent's expression softened. "Sora, they're not here." He said quietly.

"You know where they are?!" Sora's eyes widened. "You've got to take me to them, Vincent! I can…"

But Vincent cut him off midsentence. "Damn, Shin-Ra…." He swore as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his shut tightly.

"Vincent, what's wrong?" Sora approached the Turk cautiously. When the young man didn't say anything, Sora came closer and a hand on his shoulder. "Vincent?" A quiver of worry slipped into his voice, and Sora swore he wouldn't be afraid, not in front of a tough guy like Vincent.

"They…" Vincent began, but couldn't seem to look him in the eye. "Sora…" He suddenly grabbed Sora by the shoulders, and forced him to look him in the eye. "Sora…I want you to listen to me very carefully." Sora felt a lump in his lump in his throat, and produced an audible gulp trying to force it back down. "Sora, have you ever heard of the One Thousand Worlds Project?"

"Vincent, you're scaring me…" But Sora shook his head.

"The One Thousand Worlds Project was made by the Shin-Ra Science Department in order to keep the psychological damage to their experiments to a minimum while they were kept until their intended use." Vincent began. "They made extensive holographic prisons and wiped memories of their previous lives to ensure their happiness in their "cages." Vincent almost spat the last words.

"I don't understand, Vincent! What's this got to do with me?"

Vincent kneeled down in front of him and with a true look of regret in his eyes, he said, "Sora…" He said softly. "Riku and Kairi don't exist."

Sora tried to squirm out of Vincent's firm grip, but found he couldn't move. "You're LYING!" Sora screamed as he struggled harder. Vincent pulled him into a hug. Sora pounded on his shoulders, causing some onlookers to stop and stare. "YOU'RE LYING!"

"Why do they have do this to kids…" Vincent mumbled softly. Vincent still held Sora in his strong grip.

"LET GO OF ME!" Sora screamed. "You're just like the rest of the Turks! You're BAD!" Sora continued to pound on the back of Vincent's jacket.

"Sora…" Vincent said calmly. "Can I show you something?" He paused. "Do you promise you won't run?"

Sora rubbed his eyes on the back of his gloved hand. "I don't have any place to run to…" Sora plopped down in the middle of the sidewalk. "I don't know how to get back to Fantasy Island…"

Vincent sighed as he began to peel off one of his black gun gloves. He stretched his long fingers to reveal a green tattooed number that marred the back of his left hand. "You have one of these too, don't you?"

Sora snorted. "Everyone on Fantasy Island has one of those!" He crossed his arms and turned his head, refusing to look at it. "That doesn't prove anything…" But the wheels were beginning to turn in Sora's mind. Vincent wasn't from Fantasy Island. Why did he have one? "Vincent…" Sora's voice was small. "…how did you get one of those…?"

Vincent sighed. "I'm an experiment just like you, Sora…"

"I'm not an experiment…" Sora muttered crossly, but then he looked at Vincent. "But if you're an experiment, why don't you run away?" He looked down at Vincent's wrists. "You're not chained like the other experiments are…."

Vincent looked off into the distance. "Maybe because there is no place to run, Sora…" Vincent sighed. "Maybe things are better this way…"

Sora cocked his head. "You don't really believe that, do you?" Sora looked up at Vincent, wide eyed as he uncrossed his arms. He leapt up from the pavement and stood beside Vincent. "You gotta have hope, Vincent!" He gave Vincent a weak grin as he pulled on his ungloved hand. "C'mon, Vincent! Help me save Kairi and Riku…" When Vincent didn't budge, he frowned.

"And if I behave, I get to see her…" Vincent shrugged.

Sora dropped Vincent's hand, or to be honest, he threw it. "You're staying a prisoner because of a GIRL?!" Sora threw his hands in the arm.

"I don't expect you to understand…" Vincent muttered.

"Vincent! She didn't even come to eat ice cream with you today!" Sora sighed.

"Like I said…" He muttered crossly. "She is confused."

"Fine…" Sora spun on his heel and surprised Vincent as he began to stomp off. "I'll go rescue Kairi and Riku in the lab by myself!" As he stomped away Vincent could hear him mutter. "Stupid Vincent." Sora kicked a can, scaring a cat in the process. "I can do this all by myself…" Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I don't need stupid TURKS!"

Vincent smiled slightly despite himself. "Sora, you're going the wrong direction…."

"I DON'T CARE!" Sora yelled at him, back over his shoulder. "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!"

Vincent couldn't help, but smirk when Sora took the next left. He, then, sighed. "I suppose I better make sure he doesn't get into trouble…" He sighed exasperatedly.


	4. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 3

Sunshine and Rain

Chapter 3: Critical Juncture

Vincent lead Sora through the streets of Midgar, smiling slightly as he watched the young boy take in his surroundings. He could almost bet that they had nothing like this back in his world—He stopped himself and frowned. His prison, he corrected himself. He sighed as he stared at the back of Sora's head, wondering if he was better off in his world of lies. But, all lies seemed to come to light at some point, he reasoned to himself bitterly as he took a deep breath to steady himself. He just wished he didn't have to be the one to break the harsh reality to Sora. Children shouldn't have to go through such heartache, but, he sighed, everyone has to grow up sometime.

"Woaaah!" Sora exclaimed as he stopped dead in his tracks. Vincent startled as he realized that he had wondered through the slums and up to the plate while he was lost in his own thoughts. He swore, having let his guard down for so long. Sora didn't even give him a second look. "What IS that?"

"Shin-Ra Headquarters." Vincent muttered gruffly as he began to search his pockets. He finally found his handcuffs in his jacket, and began to slowly approach Sora from behind as he pushed them into an unlocked position. He hated to do this, but it was for Sora's own good, he reasoned. As he reached out for Sora's upper arm, he wondered if it was for Sora's own good, why it felt so wrong. He shook his head and strengthened his resolve as he grabbed Sora by the arm, using it to pin him against the side of the dirty building.

"HEY!" Sora yelped as he slammed into the wall. "THAT HURTS!" Sora tried to squirm, but Vincent kept a firm grip on his small, squirming body. "What are you doing, Vincent?!"

"You're under arrest, Sora. " Vincent muttered as he secured Sora's other hand behind his back. He could feel Sora resisting, and he had to give the boy credit: He was stronger than he looked. He jerked him away from the building, but he wouldn't turn him around. He couldn't look Sora in the eye right now.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" He screamed.

"You shouldn't trust anybody, Sora…" He said softly as he began to march him toward the front doors of the massive building. Sora tried to dig his heels into the pavement but they found little purchase much to Vincent's relief. He really didn't want to have to hurt him.

"I SHARED ICECREAM WITH YOU!" Sora continued to rage.

"Correction: You ate mine and Lucrecia's ice cream." Vincent sighed. "There was no sharing involved." As Vincent finally forced Sora to the stairs, he noticed a little bit of blood was dripping from his restraints . "Sora, stop. " He ordered, but the young man refused to stop squirming. "You're hurting yourself."

"What do you care?!" Sora challenged.

"What do I care, indeed…" Vincent mused mostly to himself as he pushed Sora through the large doors. His eyes narrowed as he noticed that the blood was now steady dripping from Sora's cut wrists. He spun Sora roughly around by the shoulders to glare at him. "I told you to stay…" But Vincent cut himself off in midsentence as he noticed Sora's blotched, tearstained face.

"I thought you were my friend…" Sora whimpered. Vincent felt like he had been slapped in the face. He ground his back molars trying to back bite any sort of response. This was for Sora's own good, he reminded himself. Suddenly, he couldn't stand to look at Sora's face any longer, he turned him around as quickly as he could, and heaving a heavy sigh once Sora's back was turned.

"Aww…" A loud booming voice echoed throughout the lobby. "Valentine is wiping the little boy's tears…" There was a loud chorus of laughter reverberating throughout the lobby. Wonderful, Vincent scowled. This was the last thing he needed.

"Hello, Klumm." Vincent spat flatly as he glared across the lobby. Vincent watched as the receptionist quickly realized that she had something urgent to do in the other room. He noticed three other Turks that had gathered behind him with snarky expressions on their faces. Vincent grabbed the chain on Sora's handcuffs tightly as Klumm strode across the room, and he put his other hand on Sora's shoulder protectively. Sora looked up at Vincent over his shoulder, apparently sensing something was wrong. He should feel worried, Vincent snorted as he never took his own eyes off the hulking Turk.

"Didn't your Dad teach you when you catch a fish that small, Valentine, you should throw it back?" Vincent grip on the chain tightened as Klumm's smirk got larger. "Oh that's right. You don't know who your father is." There was a chorus of uproarious laughter that followed that made Vincent's cheeks feel hot.

"I don't even know why they let bastards on the force…" One of the other Turks said absently as he looked at his reflection in a mirror and straightened his tie. "I thought they wanted quality over quantity."

Vincent began to feel a pull on the handcuffs. He strengthened his stance as Sora tried to march forward. "Well, I don't know who my Mom is, and I'm okay!"

The four other Turks stared at Sora blankly for half of a second, breaking into a horrible fit of laughter. Vincent lunged and wrapped his arms around Sora's little body before he had a chance to charge Klumm. As he held Sora's struggling body in his arms, his eyes bore right into Klumm. "Leave the boy alone."

"I'm sorry, Vincent." Klumm took up a face of mock repentance and leaned away, before he finally smirked. "I know you like your boys happy!" Vincent snarled as he picked up Sora and threw him over his shoulder.

Between fits of laughter, one of them said, "Look! He's taking him to his bedroom! Handcuffs and all!" They all doubled over.

Vincent didn't even give them a second look as he stormed past all four of them, the squirming boy pounding on his shoulders. He jammed the elevator button as hard as he could, and waited in misery as he could hear their amusement behind him. Once the door opened, Vincent dropped Sora on his feet and slammed the close door button with his fist. As the doors closed, he slumped against the back of the elevator with his head leaning against the cool metal of the wall and his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, the receptionist returned to the front desk with her hands on her hips. "Why do you do that to him?!" She demanded as the laughter came to a sudden halt.

Klumm just shrugged. "Orders are orders…"

~oOo~

Vincent was expecting to find Sora in even more tears than he had previously left him, but when he slowly opened his eyes, he found the young boy sitting with his legs crossed on the floor, looking up at Vincent with wide, sympathetic eyes. Vincent stared at Sora in disbelief. He had basically betrayed the young man's trust, humiliated him in front of others, and dragged him onto this slow elevator only to have to Sora pity him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. How had it ever come to this?

He heard a shuffling of large tennis shoes, and when he opened his eyes, he found Sora standing by his side, looking up at him with large wide-eyes. "They don't treat you very well here, do they?" Sora frowned as he glanced back toward the elevator door.

Vincent felt his hands drop to his side as he glanced out the glass elevator as it rose over Midgar. "No," He paused. "They don't."

Sora plopped down on the floor beside Vincent again, and looked up at the tall from the floor. "Then, why do you stay?"

Vincent sighed heavily. "I think you know why."

Sora made a face that almost made Vincent smile. "Girls are stupid." He followed Vincent's glance out of the elevator. "I mean, they aren't dumb, but they make you do stupid stuff." Sora shrugged. Vincent could only shrug at that. Lucrecia had made some awful choices, as of late, but…she would come around. If it was obvious to him that Professor Hojo didn't love her, surely she would realize it and come back to him. Sooner or later, he sighed heavily. She was a smart girl, but no one could tell Lucrecia Crescent what to do.

"Hey Vincent…" Vincent looked down at found Sora grinning at him.

"What?" Vincent muttered crossly as he folded his arms across his chest. He wished the damned elevator would hurry up. Sora's pity and now cheerfulness was starting to get on his last nerve.

"Why don't you come back to Fantasy Island with me?" His eyes lit up as he continued to speak. "You could meet Riku and Kairi!" His voice got quicker. "You would like…"

Vincent cut him off short grumpily. "Sora, there is no Fantasy Island."

"So says you." Sora crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue at Vincent as the elevator door dinged.

Vincent sighed as the door began to open. This was going to be a long day.

~oOo~

Sora stuck his tongue back in his mouth as soon as he noticed someone was staring at both him and Vincent from the floor. It was either a very masculine woman or a man with boobs. Sora scratched the back of his head. He couldn't be sure. Either way, IT looked like it could kill both of them with looks alone behind that receptionist window. Sora felt Vincent grab him by the collar of his shirt and carry him off the elevator.

Sora looked up. "I really liked the receptionist downstairs better." Sora muttered as Vincent as sat him down on his feet.

"Don't tell her that." He muttered.

"So it IS a HER!" Sora turned and looked at Vincent with wide eyes.

"SHH!" Vincent roughly turned him around and pushed him toward the door on the far side of the empty waiting room. He felt Vincent's breath close to his ear. "Her name is Ms. Phelps, and you better be quiet if you know what's good for you." Sora watched Vincent straightened up.

"You know you can't bring children into the lab, Valentine." The woman glared at Vincent over a pair of pink horn rimmed glasses that seemed to offset her moustache. Something made Sora want to hide behind Vincent. Something about the woman gave him the heevie jeevies.

"I'm bringing an experiment back." Vincent was now pushing him almost faster than he could walk now. Apparently, she scared Vincent too, he thought. Ms. Phelps nodded quietly as she eyed the handcuffs around Sora's wrists, but Sora could feel her hairy eyeballs on his back as Vincent swiped his key card into the lock. Once the door opened, he pushed Sora roughly into the hallway, causing him to stumble forward several steps before finally regaining his balance. He turned around and found Vincent still standing close by the shut door, seemingly searching for something in his jacket pocket with a frown on his face.

"You know what? You're a real jerk…" Sora marched back toward him, causing Vincent to look up in alarm. "No wonder people don't like you around here…You're going around arresting your friends, hurting people, and pushing them around!" Sora was toe to toe with Vincent now, glaring up into his eyes. His fists were balled so tightly that he began to feel the blood begin to run anew down his hands. "I was feelin' sorry for you, ya know?" Sora turned back around and crossed his arms across his chest. He was about to cry, and he wasn't about to let Vincent see him cry. "You gotta be a friend to get a friend, ya know?!" He huffed. "I can't believe I was so stupid to trust you…" He sniffled.

"Are you finished?" Vincent asked quietly.

"No…" Sora muttered. "But I can't think of anything else to say…."

He heard Vincent snort, before he felt a slight tug on his restraints. He heard a small click as he felt the metal handcuffs falling from his wrists. He spun around and looked at Vincent with wide, curious eyes. Sora's mind was whirling. "I don't understa…"

There was a small amused smile on his lips as the restraining hung loosely from one of his fingers. "I had to get you up here somehow…"

Slowly, the realization of what had taken place hit him, he threw his arms around Vincent as the tears began flow freely from his eyes. He couldn't stop them, and for some reason he did feel any need to do so. He had a friend in this sorely screwed up world. He wasn't alone again, after all.

Through his tears, he heard Vincent quietly say, "Let me see your wrists." He regretfully pulled away from Vincent, and then wiped his tears on his forearm. He held out his shaking hands in front of him and let Vincent examine them. He pressed his lips together, and then closed his eyes, chanting something in a language that Sora had never heard. A warm green glow enveloped his hands and wrists, and he watched in amazement as the deep cuts in his wrists began to slowly heal before his eyes.

"There." Vincent smiled as he slowly opened his eyes. "How does it feel now?"

"It feels…like new." Sora stared at the places the lacerations once where. There wasn't even a scar. "What did you do?!"

Vincent chuckled. "A small healing spell."

Sora wrapped his arms around Vincent in a quick hug. He hadn't given anyone a real hug in what seemed like forever, but something was still bothering him. He let Vincent go and looked up at the Turk who was still smiling at him, but he knew within his heart of hearts that the smile wasn't real. He didn't doubt that Vincent liked him, but there was sadness in his eyes that he likened to a broken heart or someone that was about break someone's. It was a sadness that made Sora return to the questions that lead them to this building to begin with: Was Fantasy Island real? Surely, that was all part of Vincent's act to get him up here to go home? Right? RIGHT?! He swallowed a large lump in his throat, as Vincent rubbed his spikey head.

"Come on, kiddo…" Vincent sighed as he looked down the forlorn, sterile hallway. "There is something down here you need to see…" He said with such grittiness that it made Sora back up a step.

Sora realized that his heart was pounding as he too, looked down the long white hallway. "Vincent…" He cringed as his voice cracked slightly. A chill ran up his spine, and butterflies fluttered in the pit of stomach. And for the first time, he realized that he was truly afraid of what lie down that hallway. Vincent glanced over his shoulder, and then began to walk back toward him. His knees began to wobble at the joint, and as he tried to put one foot in front of the other, they he realized they were too heavy to move. He began to tumble forward right into Vincent's awaiting hands.

Vincent picked him up and held him in his arms. "This was a bad idea…" He muttered.

Bravery. Sora knew he had to be brave. He wasn't going to let his only friend in this world see him like this. "N-no…"He stuttered. "I want to show you that Fantasy Island is REAL!" He knew he didn't sound believable, and when Vincent rolled his eyes, he confirmed it.

"We don't have to go in there, Sora…" Vincent said quietly as he glanced down the hall.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily. "No, Vincent…" He paused as he looked into the Turk's brown ones. "I have to see it. I have to know they're not real." He felt the tears well up in his eyes. "I have to know I don't need to fight for them anymore."

Vincent closed his own eyes and then looked back down at Sora. "As you wish…"

Sora was about to ask Vincent to put him down, when he felt Vincent clutch him closer to his chest. As he opened his eyes, he realized that his own friend was carrying him down the hall toward the truth. Sora was trying not cry.

~oOo~

Vincent sat Sora down as he read the words on the large gold plaque that hung next the door. "One…Thousand…Prisons…Lab." If he was frightened before, his panic was now intensifying. He traced his fingers across the gold plating slowly. "It's actually…real."

"Mmm…"Vincent muttered as he swiped his keycard through another lock, but before they entered, he kneeled down in front of Sora. "Sora…" He placed his hand on top of the youth's shoulder. "It's all right to be scared."

A cold shiver ran down the tips of Sora's fingers to the ends of his toes. "I'm not afraid." He muttered. The truth was: He was shaken to the core….The very existence of this room meant something. It meant that Vincent was, at least, partially telling the truth. If Vincent was telling the truth, what that mean for Riku? For Kairi? What did that mean…for him? "Vincent?" Sora looked down. He was embarrassed by his weakness, but yet, he had to know the answer. "If Fantasy Island…doe…doesn't…exist…"He paused, mustering his strength. "Will you still be my friend?" Sora looked down at his oversized shoes. "Because…I…might…not…have anyone left." He finished the last part quickly and squeezed his eyes shut.

Vincent looked surprised for a moment, before he looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "Sora…" He paused as he looked down at the young boy. "I will always be your friend."

Sora wiped his eyes on the back of his forearm roughly before nodding quietly. "Are you ready?"

Sora nodded silently as Vincent pushed open the door, and it was all Sora could do not to stare into the dark room of a thousand blinking monitors. "I…can do this…" He muttered to himself as he slowly put one foot in front of the other and entered the room. Curiosity was dragging him forward. The answer to his questions was within reach. He turned back around to Vincent. "What is all of this?"

Vincent grabbed a clipboard off of one of the walls, and began looking for something as Sora looked each of the blinking screens, all of them had a different picture on them. "Each monitor is representative of one prison…" Vincent looked up for a moment in awe.

"So each of these…are worlds…like Fantasy Island?" Sora said slowly.

"Yes…" Vincent nodded slowly as he seemed to find what he was looking for on the clipboard.

"Why are some of them black?" Sora asked timidly. It was a stupid question, he thought. He had a good guess why they were black. They seemed like miniature black holes.

"It is number….576…"Vincent said, avoiding Sora's question. Sora began to carefully look through the numbers on each monitor until he found himself standing in front of the aforementioned black monitor. He pressed his hands to glass, as if he could reach beyond the blackness to find any shred of his former home or friends, but he felt and saw nothing but his own reflection in a cold, bleak monitor. Suddenly, his vision went red. A rage like he had never felt before burst forth from him. Sora suddenly screamed as he tried to rip the monitor from the wall and throw it across the room. A pair of strong hands pried him from the control board as he kept reaching for anything that would give him purchase.

"Sora!" A voice distantly yelled. "SORA!"

He kicked and fought against whatever was holding him back until he had no more energy left to give. He screamed until he had no more breath left in his lungs and then collapsed in Vincent's arms. He quietly sobbed and lost track of time. His friends… "Kairi…" He sobbed. "Riku…." It wasn't the world he missed. He could have lived in any old world. No, who he couldn't live without were those that were irreplaceable: His best friends.

Vincent rocked him back and forth, and cradled Sora's head to his chest. "Sora…" He said quietly, trying to think of SOMETHING to make Sora feel better. "Sora…" He paused. "Just because Riku and Kairi never existed, doesn't mean they never meant anything."

"What do you know?!" Sora snapped at him. "Your world's still here!" He grabbed Vincent by his suit jacket. "Your Mom is still out there somewhere….You have friends in this world…" He began to pound on Vincent's chest with his fists. "Everything you know is. Still. HERE!"

Vincent caught Sora's wrists and looked him in the eye sternly. "Listen to me, Sora: They still live in your heart and in your memories, Sora." He shook the boy by his arms. "They shaped who YOU are!"

Sora sniffled. "Then who does that make me?"

Vincent crushed Sora to his chest. "A very lost little boy." He muttered to himself.

~oOo~

Vincent had lost all track of time. Sora had since worn himself out and was now asleep in his lap. He sighed as he looked down at the sleeping child, wondering how he was going to keep his promise to him. He was a child, but he was also property of the Shin-Ra Incorporated. Property. He sighed. Of his employer. He sighed again. Since when did little boys become property? He wanted to spit. He looked around the room full of blinking monitors, and his eyes narrowed as they seemed to blur over each individual picture. And how did these people end up with their entire lives being lies? It seemed so easy to ignore, until you actually sat and watched them for a few hours…or you had one of them asleep in your lap. He rolled his eyes. No, he had some decisions he had to make. Nothing was keeping him…except…he looked down at Sora. Except Lucrecia Crescent.

There was none like her, Vincent would give her that. Her intelligence sparkled like a gem and her looks made every head turn when she walked into the room, including Professor Hojo's. He shuddered. What she ever saw in that man was beyond him, and countless others. He was nothing other than a sick old man who had too much leeway in the Science Department as he wanted. Who else would think of something as sick as mutated humans, super SOLDIERs, and…a thousand worlds where people lived their lives as lies.

He suddenly wondered where all of the people, and some of them creatures, came from. They obviously didn't start in their complex cages. Where were they from? Where was SORA from, for that matter? Has some woman been mourning the loss of her son for who knows how many years? Vincent clutched Sora tighter. No, there was nothing lovely about the Shin-Ra Incorporated. The only thing that mattered was Lucrecia, and he had tried on many occasions to get her to leave with him. His expression grew dark. She was nothing, but dedicated to her work, and considered her work even more important than her own life. "Think about all the people I'll help, Vincent!" He could hear her say. She was, he sighed, very dedicated to making others' lives better, and he loved her for that. Why did it have to be at Shin-Ra Incorporated though?

Suddenly, the door swung open, snapping Vincent out of his thoughts. Vincent to leap to his feet and almost dumped Sora to the ground simultaneously. The sounds of moaning and groaning filled the hallway as two people groped their way into the dark monitoring room. It wasn't the display of affection that had Vincent's heart caught in his throat, though: It was the reflection of the monitors bouncing off something metallic on her finger. He took a step backwards, momentarily stunned and then he grabbed Sora as he burst out the door in absolute horror.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Lucrecia Crescent pushed the still advancing Professor Hojo off of herself, and stared in the direction that Vincent had ran. "Are you sure that was necessary, doctor?"

He straightened up his lab coat and pushed his glasses back upon his nose, with an absolutely victorious smile. "Oh yes, my dear Lucrecia…I assure you it most definitely was."

~oOo~

Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Thank you for continuing to read Sunshine and Rain. I have a few things to say here: First of all, I was really anxious in releasing this chapter. As you guys might have noticed, the length has changed. This is the length I am accustomed to writing in. I thought I would try shortening my usual chapter length, but…It seemed like the pace suffered because of it. We're also getting more into the meat and potatoes part of the plot that will launch us into Vincent and Sora's full adventure. I hope you all are enjoying this. Please let me know what you think by reviewing: I'd love to hear what you like and what you don't. Again, thank you for reading!


	5. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 4

Sunshine and Rain 4

Running Away

Vincent didn't think. He just bolted out of the lab, throwing Sora over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. The lobby, and then the staircase, blurred together like a fantastic streak that seemed to be mired even more by the burning in his eyes. Vincent took the stairs two at a time, and burst out in the main lobby of the Shin-Ra building, running right into the receptionist, who had her hands full of paperwork. Paperwork went flying as Vincent flew past her, barely hearing her calling to him in the distance. Sora barely struggled as he ran into the parking garage and found his motorcycle. He had to get out of here. It was now or never. He glanced behind him to see if anyone was coming. He knew his fellow Turks would be following shortly, either to mock him, to grab Sora, or both. Now was the time. The Turk grabbed the helmet and roughly put it on Sora's head as he balanced the boy on the seat. He swung his leg over the side as he heard shouting echoing from within the parking garage. Vincent revved the engine and took off with tires squealing. He left two of the Turks coughing and hacking in a haze of smoke and exhaust as he peeled through the garage, heading for the exit. Vincent smirked slightly as he roared down through levels, finally seeing the gate down below. His expression changed as he saw two more of the Turks talking to the gate guard. As he reached the straight away on the final level, the two Turks stood in front of the gate with their guns drawn. He narrowed his eyes. He knew better. They wouldn't risk hitting Sora to hurt him. He pulled Sora down and hunkered down himself as he hit the gas, screeching toward the gate, causing both Turks to dive in opposite directions as he splintered the gate with the racing motorcycle. He left shards of wood and loud obscenities behind him as he plunged into the streets of Midgar.

Something about this felt good, Vincent grinned wickedly as he weaved in and out of traffic. He weaved around a large semi-truck, and nearly avoided an old lady with her walker. Yes, this felt darn good. Several horns were blaring as he raced through several red lights. He had one hand around Sora's waist, and the other the handlebars. He needed to get away far away from Shin-Ra…and especially from her. He felt like he wanted to glance one more time at the towering Shin-Ra Headquarters, but he wouldn't allow himself to. One look would send him crumbling like a pillar of salt, as in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. He increased his speed, his hair blowing wildly in the wind. He knew if they crashed at this speed, both of them would die instantly, but it didn't matter so much now. Vincent had lost the love of his life, Sora had lost everyone he'd ever known and loved, and to be caught would be a fate worse than death: It would mean a trip to the lab…or worse.

He could hear screaming behind him. He knew the Turks were behind him on their own bikes, taking much less care than he than he did avoiding pedestrians. A Turk's job was to get the mission done, no matter what the cost, and that included the loss of innocent life. He also knew that he had to get to the city gates before they were locked shut, sealing both him and Sora on the inside. It took approximately thirty minutes to get the doors completely sealed. Vincent glanced at the clock on his dashboard. They had been racing through Midgar for about fifteen minutes, he frowned, and they were only halfway there.

An unobservant peddler began to slowly push his fruit cart, full of wares, into the street. Vincent swore as several of the panicking patrons knocked the roofed cart over, spilling fruit all over the street. He glanced behind him at the encroaching Turks and back at the spilled fruit cart. He swore again as the street peddler, who was trying to upright his cart, suddenly dropped it, and ran back onto the sidewalk. Vincent sped up, and ramped the roof of the food cart, leaping with the bike high into the air, before crashing down to the pavement below on both wheels. Three of the Turks made it over the fruit stand, but the roof of the stand gave way for the fourth, causing him to fly head over handlebars and skid to a stop several feet after the cart. Vincent looked at the clock: Ten minutes.

Vincent skid on both wheels, taking a sharp turn down an alley. Several homeless people leapt in fright as Vincent whizzed past them, unruffling blankets and sending trash sprawling everywhere. He slowed for just a moment, taking time to knock over several trashcans in the narrow alley before pressing forward. Several of Midgar's homeless gathered to collect some of the trash cans' more delectable items as Vincent sped away. That ought to hold them up for a little bit, at least, he thought. He couldn't help but glance behind him at the collection of homeless being accosted by the Turks, and some of them, he smiled, were accosting the Turks right back. What did they have to lose? Vincent frowned as he looked down at Sora's helmeted head. What did he and Sora have to lose? They had no home, very little gil, no friends, and dangerous company minutes from being on their tail. He hadn't exactly ran out of Shin-Ra Headquarters with a plan. Where he and Sora and different than those he just passed? He shook his head miserably. He wasn't going to think about that right now. His first goal was to get both of them out of Midgar. The rest…the rest he would have time to think about later…he hoped. He looked at the clock….five minutes.

The needle in the speedometer was buried somewhere beneath the console. The door was beginning to close in front of his eyes. Three minutes….He grit his teeth. Sora was dangerously rocking back and forth on the motorcycle…Two minutes….The grinding of the gears in the doors were counting down every second left…One minute…Vincent felt his heart leap into his throat as his motorcycle roared past the double doors with seconds to spare. He glanced behind him, grinning as he noticed that none of the Turks had made it through. At least now, he had a little time to think.

~oOo~

Vincent rode on the small road south of Midgar at a relatively normal rate of speed. He had passed several chocobo farmers on their large straw wagons who waved at Vincent and his somewhat catatonic rider. Vincent tried to focus on the road, but his mind seemed foggy and chaotic. Lucrecia had not only been his first love, but his only love. His chest literally ached with what he felt was a very physical hole in his chest. The feelings he felt inside were a tangled mess of victory of finally escaping the prison that was his home, the emptiness of losing someone of whom he thought he was his soulmate, and the confusion of losing the only family he had ever known (albeit abusive), the Turks. It all swirled deep within his mind and heart, and he didn't know whether to laugh at the bitter irony or cry. His life finally felt like his own, but without Lucrecia, how much did that freedom truly matter? He had a catatonic child in front of him and nothing but broken dreams behind him. He never quite understood why his life had been such a disaster after another. At one point, he figured the Gods must have cursed the day and hour he was born. But then, why would the Gods even care? He sure didn't right now. He just seemed to be drifting down a lone dark road at sunset, not really sure where he should go or what to do. He felt…utterly lost.

Suddenly, the sound of a large blasting horn awoke him from his thoughts and his eyes widened as he realized that he had drifted into the other lane. A semi-truck was blaring its horn at him as he swerved back into his own, his heart racing in his chest. He readjusted Sora and continued down the lonely highway, realizing that what he needed was a plan: A plan he didn't have, he thought sourly. Shin-Ra was a nearly unescapable entity. Their presence could clearly be felt clear across the globe. Running was stupid, he scowled. How could he have ever thought that running from Shin-Ra was a feasible solution? Oh, that's right: He wasn't thinking. He sighed. He just ran like a coward. The coward that couldn't stand up to his family of co-workers and the coward who couldn't manage to capture the girl of his dreams. The last part stung. Heavily. He sighed again. He needed to get his mind off Lucrecia…A plan…Right. He was getting tired and he knew the first thing he'd need to do was to get them shelter. He needed something…off the radar. He thought hard, yet nothing seemed to come to mind. He supposed a barn or anything would do, just as long as it kept them out of the elements. Immediate needs came first, he reasoned, but what he was going to do after that? He didn't know. Maybe he could think on that tonight, when they got to where they were going…If the Turks didn't catch up to them first.

He looked down at Sora and worried. The little boy was usually a chatterbox of endless prattle, but the kid still sat between his knees lifeless and unalert. He had a dazed look in his eyes and hadn't said anything since they were in the lab in Midgar. Would he ever come out of it? Vincent shook his head. He didn't know. He knew that some people remained in a vegetative state all of their lives due to intense psychological shock. He sighed. Sora was far too young to have to carry this sort of burden. He wasn't going to let Sora suffer like this, but he had no idea how to pull him out of it either. As much as it hurt him, he had more pressing issues to deal with a the moment, and if the Turks caught up with them, Vincent knew that all hope of Sora ever coming out of his catatonic state were slim.

Vincent rode along in thoughtful silence for several long minutes before he saw a billboard arise from the horizon. He squinted his eyes until he could read the lettering on the sign that advertised a diner with, "The Most Delicious Milkshakes You'll Ever Eat!" The corner of Vincent's lip turned up slightly. If anything would turn Sora around, it would be food, Vincent realized, and especially ice cream. He sped up as he raced toward the small dinner, hoping that it would do something to arise Sora from his state.

~oOo~

Vincent pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be a small 60's diner. He knew that they couldn't stay long. The closing of the gates had purchased them some time, but…He picked up Sora off of the seat of the motorcycle and carried him across the empty parking lot. A small bell rang over the sound of jukebox music as he entered the diner, and he was greeted by an older man in a white apron, polishing a glass. He looked down at Sora, who was limp in Vincent's arms, questioningly before he just shook his head.

"Just seat yourselves in one of the booths." He took one more glance at Sora. "I'll be with you shortly."

Vincent looked around. The diner was just as empty as the parking lot. He picked a booth near the back and balanced Sora into a sitting positon on the opposite side of the booth. Vincent slid into his side of the booth and held his head in his hands. He sighed heavily and sat that way until he heard the sound of heavy footsteps approach the table. Vincent looked up sourly.

The old man looked none too pleased that these two vagrants had stumbled into his lonely diner. "You boys ain't in trouble, are ya?"

Vincent glared at the man. "No." He said sharply.

"Didn't think so." The man muttered as he reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a pen. He didn't sound like he believed a word of it. "What's up with him?" He jutted his pen toward Sora briefly.

Vincent just sighed as he turned back toward Sora and looked at his empty eyes. "He lost everything he had…and knew." He rubbed his face with his hands, and when he looked back up at the owner, his expression had taken on a softer feel.

"Know what that's like…" The old man looked away toward the window. "Lost my Bonnie six months ago…" He pressed his lips together. "Didn't eat, didn't sleep for days…" He paused. "She was the life of this place…" He shook his head. "But you didn't come here to hear me drabble on about Bonnie." He wiped a tear from his eye. "What can I get you boys?"

Vincent nodded quietly. "Two chocolate milkshakes."

The man nodded as he scribbled the order down on a pad of paper. "Two chocolate milkshakes comin' up…" The man started to walk away, but then turned back to Sora and Vincent. "You sure there's nothing else I can get you?"

Vincent shook his head. "No, but thank you." He said quietly.

As the man walked away, Vincent turned back to Sora and watched him silently for several long minutes. Thoughts of making a plan were hard to come by as he played with a napkin. His own mind seemed lifeless and dull. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he finally sat down. His eyes slowly drifted shut, and he had to continually fight to keep them awake. He welcomed the numbness, but knew the inevitable heartache and pain was yet to come.

He was startled awake by the sound of a ceramic mug being set on the table. He looked up, and found the old man walking back to the counter and a coffee sitting next to his milkshake.

The old man smiled. "On the house." He said softly.

Vincent nodded gratefully as he took his first sip, enjoying the aroma that seemed to invigorate his body. He lowered his coffee cup and then glanced over at Sora, who had not even moved from the position Vincent had sat him in. He frowned and reached across the table and even put the straw to Sora's lips. The young boy still did not move. Vincent fell back into his seat, out of ideas and feeling slightly frustrated. He picked up his coffee again, his hands noticeably shaking. The coffee seemed to help settle his nerves. How could Shin-Ra have done this to a child...

The old man had begun to wipe down and clean off another table from a previous customer, when he suddenly looked up and glanced out the window. "Must be a good day…" The man muttered as he watched something out the window. "More customers…"

Vincent followed his eyes to the window where he saw three blue suited individuals get off their own motorcycles. "Damn." Vincent swore as he shot to his feet, spilling his coffee in the process.

"What's wrong?" The old man turned toward Vincent. "You runnin' from THEM?" The man looked at Vincent wide-eyed.

"Is there another way out of here?" Vincent said in a rush as he scooped up Sora in his arms.

The old man frowned. "Yeah, through the kitchen at the back…"

Vincent nodded in thanks as he threw some loose gil down on the table and then leapt over the counter, knocking over a few condiments in the process. Just as he'd entered the kitchen, he heard the small bell on the door ring as the three Turks entered. He could hear them interrogating the old man as he fought his way past the utensils and frying pans and burst out the back door. He hefted Sora over his shoulder as he crept around the back of the diner and spotted his motorcycle in the distance. He narrowed his eyes. He could hear the old man yelling at the Turks to get out of his diner through the walls, and he knew he only had one chance. He took advantage of the confusion and ran to his motorcycle, threw Sora on it, and roared it to life.

The three Turks burst out of the diner as Vincent sped away from the diner. "SHIT!" One of them yelled. "There he goes!"

~oOo~

Vincent raced away as he left the three Turks hacking and running for their bikes. His hair was once again blowing wildly as he raced around semi-trucks and chocobo wagons. He didn't even notice as he whizzed past the fecal smelling chocobo farm on the left. The needle was once again buried in the console. No matter how many trucks or wagons he passed, he still found the three Turks gaining on him. He had a decision to make. He could run bike all the way down to the shore and be caught for certain, or…He could make a sharp right and enter into the swamps. He swallowed hard as he noticed the sun had almost totally set in the west. The swamps were dangerous at best and death traps at worst. The roads were nothing but dirty paths that were sometimes strewn with a variety of vines and murky water. Creatures that could kill you in a heartbeat could be found within and the worst of which, the Midgar Zolom, was a creature of seemingly mythical proportions that resembled a cross between a very large snake and a dragon. His knuckles turned white as they wrapped around the handlebars, the dirt road into the swamps was just ahead. He had a split second decision make, and he suddenly turned right, tires squealing and dirt flying as he began to speed down the path. The three Turks were close on his heels.

The dark swamp looked even more ominous as he approached. Snakes withered across branches as alligators looked on idly from their submerged positions. Long vines hung down like a hangman's noose as he rushed into the dark forest, taking a moment to knock a vine behind him. The danger of the situation wasn't lost on him. He knew he'd have to slow down or drive both himself and Sora to a watery death. The only consolation was that he knew that the Turks would have to slow down as well. He could hear one of them swearing and another shouting, "IS HE CRAZY?!" Klumm had a few choice words for both of them. He smirked. It was about time someone else caught the blunt edge of his words.

As the path continued to meander further through the dark swamps, Vincent was tempted to turn on the large headlight on the front of his bike. He reached over with his thumb to turn it on, and then thought better of it. The headlight would be nothing more than a shining beacon leading the Turks right to them.

He felt more like he was crawling than moving, and a hiding alligator took advantage by trying to snap at Vincent's foot. Vincent yelped as he kicked the gator away, but in the process, Sora began to slide off the seat of the bike. The gator became even more interested in his new prospects for dinner and leapt. He grabbed his gun for his holster and shot at the gator, sending a multitude of creature scattering that he didn't even know were there. The alligator retreated back to deeper waters to nurse its wounds. Vincent looked around warily. He didn't just feel three sets of eyes on him but hundreds. He shuddered and pulled Sora back on the bike. Vincent rolled his eyes as he realized the young boy was none the wiser. He took a deep breath of humid air and pressed onward. His hands were shaking as he held onto the handlebars. He hoped his shot hadn't awoken the Zolom, or any other creature of its kind. He pinned his gun between the handlebars and his hand. He'd be ready for his next encounter.

As Vincent continued to ride deeper within the swamps, he noticed the usual hum of the mosquitoes and the ever present snakes had all but disappeared. The swamp had become eerily quiet, and the hairs on the back of Vincent's neck began to stand on end. He stopped and glanced to his left and his right. The water was still. He took a few deep breaths and held on to his gun tightly. When nothing came, he slowly started the bike and began to inch down the worn path, watching each side with caution. He found a skull floating idly within the stagnant waters, the rest of its body nowhere to be found, and he found another one up the path that had seemingly been tossed up into a tree like child's ragdoll.

He glanced over his shoulder as he heard the Turks closing in from behind noisily, complaining about the mosquitos. There began to be little waves in the water that lapped at his feet. He wanted to warn them, or at least tell them to be quiet. Birds and bats began to flutter away anxiously. His eyes continued to scan the water as he moved ever so carefully. The waves…were getting incrementally bigger, and the water itself seemed to be shuddering.

"THERE THEY ARE!" One of the Turks shouted.

Vincent pivoted on his bike and put a finger to his mouth forcefully. Klumm was going to get them all killed. All three Turks got off their bikes and began to approach Vincent and Sora as a huge shadow began to swim toward the land bridge.

"Thought you could get away, huh?" Preston reached into his pocket for his handcuffs. "I'm so going to enjoy this…" He said with a little too much glee. When Klumm glanced over at him the pretty Turk just said, "My face is going to be covered with mosquito bites…No girl is going to want to look at that!"

"Hey…" The third Turk, Jeref, said quietly, following Vincent's eyes to the water. "…why isn't Vincent running?" There was a moment of thoughtful silence.

"Oh shit…" Klumm muttered. "It's uh…It's here, isn't it?"

All eyes were on the water as the large shadow stopped just before bridge.

Vincent never liked his Turk brothers that much, but he didn't wish a gory death on anyone. He looked down at Sora who was still resting between his legs on the bike. He glanced up at the three Turks, and with a very solemn look, said, "I'm sorry." And he truly was. He hated to do this, but what other choice did he have?

Vincent suddenly slammed on the accelerator, taking off like a shot as the Midgar Zolom rose out of the water, towering over the cowering Turks. He didn't look back. He couldn't. He revved the engine louder to drown out the sounds of their screams. He might never know if they survived the incident or not. He ground his teeth as he sped off toward the mountains and said a little prayer for them. He had to stay focused, though, for Sora's sake.

He stopped at the foot of the mountains and looked back. There was nothing he could do, he tried to tell himself. Bullets would not have stopped the Midgar Zolom, and he had to protect the boy. He shook his head. He needed a drink, badly, but the nearest town was a small fishing village across the small mountain range. He took a deep breath to steady himself and glanced one more time back into the darkness. He closed his eyes and then took off into the mountains proper, thinking they would find shelter in one of the small towns on the other side. Sleep sounded blissfully wonderful, he thought, and the rest of the night's riding would be easy…without the Turks.


	6. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 5

Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 5

Shadows and Light

Sora's eyes fluttered as the smell of the fresh sea air filtered through his nostrils. His hammock slowly rocked back and forth as a fresh breeze blew in through the window. Fantasy Island, was the first thought that registered in his mind. He must be back on Fantasy Island. It all must've been a horrible nightmare…His eyes popped open as he bolted upright. "RIKU! KAIRI! GUESS WHAT I JUST DREAMED…" Somehow, the reality never quite matched the fantasy. He found himself sitting in an old, rotting hammock in an old fisherman's cabin. The wind wasn't the warm winds that used to breeze through Fantasy Island's tropical trees, but rather a chilled flow gave him the chills. He wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered. He found Vincent sleeping a few feet away in an old iron feather bed that looked none too comfortable. The repugnant smell of alcohol made Sora scrunch his face as he noticed the half empty bottle sitting on the night stand. Tears burned in Sora's eyes as he grabbed a misty, moth eaten blanket and headed outside into the night air. He wrapped it around his shoulders, wondering where in the world they were. They obviously weren't at Fantasy Island, that was for sure. He noticed a small dock about 50 yards down the beach, and begin to walk toward it. He had no earthly idea how they'd gotten there. Most of the last day and night was a blur. All he remembered were short bouts of consciousness where was Vincent trying to hold on to him as they raced away from the big city. He glanced back at the shack where Vincent slept and noticed the old motorcycle leaning against the side. It served to jog his memory little.

He came to the old dock and it creaked as he walked across it slowly, looking out across the expanse of water before him. It seemed dark, never ending, and hopeless. He sat down, letting his feet dangle over the cold waters, and glanced backwards one more time towards the shack, before a tear trickled down his face. Kairi and Riku…were gone. No more sword fights, no more picnics with Kairi…no more…Fantasy Island.

Sora suddenly leapt to his feet, the blanket falling into a pile at his feet. "IT'S NOT FAIR, YA KNOW?!" He screamed out into the dark waters. The cold waters had no reply of their own. Sora hands wrapped into fists as he looked down at the old weather worn wood and shoes. He looked back up at the sea. "YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM FROM ME!" His words echoed endless across the sea and off into the distance. He flopped back on his butt and wrapped the blanket back around his shoulders. He didn't know who he was talking to, but screaming seemed to help him feel better immensely. He wanted to blame this on someone. ANYONE. But the only person who seemed to be around for miles was Vincent, and it wasn't his fault either. He'd kinda gotten the impression that Vincent really didn't have anyone either. He used to have that Lucrecia girl, but she was sorta mean to him. He wasn't sure if knowing someone else who was alone made him feel any better about losing his friends, but…it was nice to have a friend in this world. At least, he wasn't totally alone.

~oOo~

Vincent slowly opened his eyes, immediately noticing the huge headache behind them. He groaned as he rolled over and buried his head in the pillow. Drinking that much wasn't the most responsible he'd ever done, he had to admit, and it solved nothing. Lucrecia was still engaged to Professor Hojo. He closed his eyes again. He supposed Sora was right: Loving Lucrecia was nothing more than a waste of time and energy. Yet, if it was such a waste of time and energy, why did he feel the need to empty the rest of the bottle of the nightstand? He glanced up at the bottle and noticed his own haggard reflection. His hair stood wildly upright and his eyes beheld dark circles. He rolled over on to his back and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, reflecting back on the long motorcycle ride from Midgar to the western coast. He had to admit that the escape from Midgar and his bullying coworkers had been somewhat of a relief. Although, losing the Turks had been nothing short of miraculous: He'd lost them in the swamps south of Midgar, barely avoiding a battle with the Midgar Zolem. His former brethren hadn't been so lucky. He didn't even look back when he heard their screams. He knew that he had to get the boy to safety. Sora hadn't even been conscious enough to walk, let alone balance himself on a motorcycle. Vincent had to balance him between himself and the handlebars the entire journey, almost losing him to the swamp on more than one occasion. He couldn't say he blamed the boy. He'd been through hell. They both had. He knew he was tough enough to weather this storm, and Sora seemed resilient as well. What was he going to do with him, though? He couldn't spend the rest of his life babysitting…He found a large knot in the wood of the ceiling and focused on it. Yet, the boy had no one, and in actuality, neither did he. He sighed. He wished Lucrecia was here with him now. She liked children, and had always wanted one or two of her own, which Vincent was going to gladly oblige. He shook his head and winced. He reached down into his wrinkled pants pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it and watched the ring sparkle in the light of the dawn. He ran his fingers across the smooth gold, before stuffing it back in his pocket. An empty ring for an empty hearted fool, he mused. She now belongs to a man who doesn't appreciate or deserve her, and the ring that is on her finger said it all. He sighed. He could have fought for her…fought for her until the death, but he didn't…he ran. He ran like the coward he was. The shame that washed over him was harder to deal with than the heartache of losing her. He groped to the side, reaching for the bottle. His fingers caressed the lip of the bottle, and he flinched and stopped. He slowly swung his legs around the edge of the bed and poured the rest of the bottle out on the dirt floor. He didn't need to use alcohol to run away any more, either, he sighed. He needed to face this. He needed to be a man. He needed to be the man that Lucrecia wanted, but he apparently failed at being. He looked out the window at the young boy on the dock. And that started…with Sora.

~oOo~

When Sora glanced back up, he noticed a tiny bit of light at the end of the horizon. The sun was rising for a new day. He heard the sound of gravel crunching behind him, and turned just in time to see Vincent making his way down to the dock. He frowned as he got closer, noticing how red the rims of Vincent's eyes were. He wondered if he'd been crying. "Hi, Vincent…" Sora said softly as he turned his back toward Vincent, and toward the rising sun. He heard him stifle a yawn behind him.

"Good morning, Sora…" His voice sounded hoarse as he placed his hand on his shoulder. He sounded just about as miserable as Sora felt. When Sora didn't say anything further, he sat down beside Sora and began to watch the sunrise as well. Sora could tell he had a lot on his mind as well. His thoughts drifted more towards Vincent, than to his own current issues.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind, Vincent…" Sora leaned back coyly.

"Nice try, Sora…" Vincent snorted.

"So how come you came out here to talk to me about my problems, but you won't talk to me about your's?" Sora whined.

Vincent coughed. "I actually came out here because your screaming woke me up, and I wanted to see if you were being harmed." Vincent said in a monotone.

"Oh." Sora looked down at his hands and then away at the horizon. The corner of Vincent's lip turned up in a rare moment of humor.

"C'mon, Vincent…You can tell me what's bothering you. We're like brothers now…or somethin'!" Sora turned toward him and put his hand on his shoulder. "You can trust me! I won't tell!"

Vincent snorted. "It's not like you know anyone *to* tell…" Vincent murmured. When he realized that Sora wasn't going to give up, he sighed. "Midgar was the only place that I've ever called home, Sora…"

"So you're kinda like me, then?" Sora looked down at his unlaced shoes that were driving Vincent's OCD nuts.

"Yes…" Vincent tore his eyes away from Sora's unlaced shoes. "In many ways, I suppose." He said thoughtfully. "Do you remember how I told that I am an experiment, as well?" Sora nodded. "I don't remember any of my childhood up until the age of thirteen…" Vincent exhaled. He had never told anyone any of this. He didn't know why he was telling any of this now, especially to a child. He shook his head. "I had an abusive foster mother, who I suspected for years, was in Shin-Ra's payroll." He sighed. "So I joined the Turks just to get away from her, and now I don't even have them."

"It didn't look like they treated they treated you very well anyway." Sora retorted.

"Well, the only reason I stayed with them was because of Lucrecia…" He muttered. "And you saw how that turned out."

Sora frowned. "You've never had a place you liked, huh?"

"No." Vincent said sharply.

"And you don't remember being a kid?" Sora's eyes were wide.

"I said that already, didn't I?" He bit back bitterly. "I'm supposed to be an experiment, and I don't even know what I'm supposed to do…"

"Well, that makes two of us…" Sora muttered. After a few moments of silence, Sora's eyes lit up. "Hey Vincent, if I'm not from Fantasy Island, that means my real Mom and Dad must be from here, right?"

Vincent shook his head. "Don't go digging into the unknown, Sora. You may find answers you don't like…"

"But if I don't go looking, how will I ever know?" He looked down at Vincent. "I mean, come on…It's my Mom and Dad we're talking about! My Mom could make waffles and my Dad could teach me to fight and…"

Vincent interrupted him. "Because sometimes the truth is worse than the mystery." He finally looked up at Sora.

"But what if it ISN'T?!" Sora sighed, causing Vincent to sigh and throw up his hands.

"Look, okay…" Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Even if she was the meanest person on earth, it'd still be okay…" He paused. "Because then, I'd at least know she was real."

Vincent couldn't argue with that. At least, he knew that his birth mother was a drunken whore who gave up her child to science. He'd, at least, found that out the hard way while thumbing through some confidential files. He finally pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're the most stubborn child I've ever met."

Sora tilted his head at Vincent. "Well, if being stubborn means I wanna know who I am, then I guess I am stubborn." Sora put his hands on his hips, rather proudly. Vincent groaned under his breath. "But I wanna explore this world too, Vincent. I want to see what kind of adventures are out there…I want to know what the people and the towns are like!" Sora grabbed Vincent by the arm. "C'mon, Vincent…You and I can find out what we're supposed to do together!"

Vincent opened his mouth, but then shut it. A responsible man wouldn't let a child roam the planet all by himself, and well, it's not like he had anything pressing to do for the rest of his life. He sighed. He had no family. He had no home, and nothing but a looming mystery that had hung over his head for his entire life. What had Sora said? They were brothers? Maybe there was more truth to that than he realized…He could, at least, keep the boy out of trouble for a little while until he found a place to hide.

Sora's voice interrupted Vincent's thoughts. "Vincent, are the Turkeys coming after us?" Vincent blinked. He was surprised at how Sora seemed to read his mind. There was an anxious undertone in Sora's voice that made him wince. Little boys shouldn't have to fear for their very lives.

"Turks" Vincent corrected him. He then gave Sora a funny look as if he was trying to figure out if Sora was serious or not. "And yes…" He looked gravely out over the water. When Vincent didn't say anything for a long time, Sora turned to look at him and cocked his head. He didn't know what was going through those dark eyes of his, and Sora wondered what was going through his mind. "You're coming with me, aren't you?" His eyes pleaded with Vincent. There was something in him that reminded him of himself. "Yes…" He said softly. "I will come."

"HURRAY!" Sora cheered as he ran up to hug Vincent.

Vincent held up his hands. "I'm not…really in a hug mood right now, Sora."

"Okay…" Sora skidded to stop. "Then, we need to get going then, don't we?" Sora said sadly.

Vincent raised a questioning brow. "You want to stay here in that old drafty shack?"

"Nah, it's not that…." Sora shrugged. "It's just the sunrise here looks just like it did on Fantasy Island..." He paused. "It's kinda like saying good bye…"

Vincent frowned empathetically. "I think we can stay here long enough for that…" He smiled softly.

Sora threw his arms around Vincent's neck, causing the older man to stiffen. "Thank you, Vincent!"

Vincent could only sigh as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the small boy. What had he gotten himself into?

~oOo~

As the sun began to clear the horizon and climbed to the height of day, Sora watched as Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. "What's that?" Sora asked quietly as he noticed the seriousness on Vincent's face as he faced the waters.

"Just…an old memory." Vincent sighed as he pressed his lips together and then threw the ring as far out into the choppy waters as he could. Sora watched the object fly and then splash loudly several yards off shore. He looked at Vincent questioningly, but Vincent only turned and walked off the dock silently.

Sora climbed to his feet and followed Vincent to the old motorbike. "Where are we going, Vincent?"

"We need to get off this continent…" He muttered as he leaned the bike upright.

"And then?" Sora asked as Vincent lifted him up onto the bike. Sora snapped the oversized motorcycle helmet in place and almost teetered off the bike again.

Vincent steadied him. "Our first order of business is to find us a ship that will take us over." Vincent nodded as he climbed onto the bike. "And then, I suppose we'll go where ever the wind blows us." He turned the key and the engine roared to life. Then, the two of them took off, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. "And maybe we'll learn a few things along the way…" Vincent muttered.

~oOo~

Lucrecia sat at a table in the lab, flipping through a magazine, until she finally slammed it shut in frustration. Her mind wasn't in it and neither was her heart. They were both, she realized, out there somewhere in the world with Vincent and Sora.

The sun reflected off her engagement ring, and it caught her attention. She sighed heavily as guilt lay heavily in the bottom of her heart. Had she known Vincent had been in that monitoring room, she would have never done that to him. She had been trying to think of a way all day long to tell him that she had been engaged. In fact, the entire reason she hadn't joined him for ice cream that day was because the Professor had proposed her right after the meeting. She hadn't meant to hurt Vincent. It was just…Why couldn't a woman love two men?! She thought in consternation.

Vincent, despite being a Turk, was an upright man who knew when to be strong, and when to be gentle. There seemed to be an overwhelming sadness that radiated him from him, though, that made him hard to be around sometimes and his incessant jealousy with the Professor made it equally difficult. Vincent just didn't understand how brilliant the Professor was! Brilliance sometimes comes with a few quirks. Surely, Vincent could understand that? But, he never seemed to. He claimed the Professor was a violent man who would hurt her. It was funny. The Professor claimed the same of Vincent. Neither man had laid a hand on her, though. Vincent also didn't seem to understand her dedication to her work, something that disturbed her greatly. Her work was her life, and if someone didn't accept her work and its demands, then she would have to look elsewhere.

Still… She had never meant for this to happen.

She glanced back toward the window. She hadn't meant to hurt Vincent in this way. She still loved him, she finally admitted to herself. As much as his loss hurt her, it just wasn't going to work out. Any day, Vincent could get killed in the field, she tried to convince herself. That was no life for someone who wanted to be a moth-

Suddenly a stack of photographs was slammed right in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. She leapt in chair about a foot off the seat. "Wha-?!" She glanced up to find the Professor standing over her with his usual scowl. She followed his eyes back down to the photographs, and found them to be pictures of a horribly mutilated body. She almost threw up inside of her mouth when her eyes travelled to the victim's head. "Is that…that Turk Pretty Boy?" She gasped.

"Valentine did that." Hojo spat flatly as he nodded his head.

"But Vincent wouldn't…" She started, but Hojo interrupted her.

"I told you he was an experiment and was dangerous, Lucrecia." His voice was hard at first, but then his eyes turned softer as he frowned. "That could have been you."

"But…" She looked between the Professor and photographs. Something about this wasn't making sense. "Vincent would never do something like this..."

The Professor put a hand on her shoulder. "He was a Turk, Lucrecia." His voice was sweet and compassionate. "He's killed many people in the past." He cleared his throat. "According to the report, they cornered him, and that is what an animal does when it is cornered."

Vincent wasn't an animal, she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut. Then, a thought struck her that made tears almost flood out of her eyes. "Does this have something to do with his experimentation?" She whispered quietly.

"Yes…" Professor Hojo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "You're safe now, though."

Lucrecia shook head. She didn't feel threatened. She felt confused. Vincent couldn't have done this…Even at his worst moment, he wouldn't do something like this…But, she didn't know what kind of monster he had become either…She was so confused. Her eyes turned back to the pictures and she shuddered.

Suddenly, everything seemed distant, very far away. All she could see in her mind's eye was Vincent as some horrible monster tearing Pretty Boy apart. Her fault. This was all her fault. If she had been more careful…If she had been more up front with Vincent, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe Pretty Boy would still be alive….Tears began to flow again from her eyes. She didn't even know his real name, for crying out loud!

"Suit up." She heard the Professor say as he released her. She shook the cobwebs out of her head, wondering if she had heard him correctly.

"Suit up?"

"We're going to put him back together." He said gruffly, but she noticed he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes.

"Is that even possible?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

"We're about to find out!" He smirked at Lucrecia. When she looked at him quizzically, he laughed callously. "He can't get any worse off than he already is!"

She nodded slowly. Maybe…just maybe…if they could bring him back to life…She wouldn't be responsible for his death. She and the Professor could fix things. Maybe things could be right again. "Al…Alright." She managed as she pushed herself away from the table. "I'll go get ready."

"Good!" The Professor exclaimed. "And leave your emotions at the door." He muttered loud enough for her to hear. "We don't need any mistakes."

"Yes, sir…" She mumbled as she exited the room, trying to dry her tears on her lab coat sleeve.


	7. Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 6

Sunshine and Rain: Chapter 6

Hijinks

Sora'a mind boggled and he heard Vincent chuckle at they pulled up to the sea side dock. Vincent pulled the bike to a stop and helped Sora off of it. "Big, aren't they?"

Big wasn't the word Sora was looking for. Astronomically freaking HUGE was the term he would use to describe the sea worthy vessels neatly parked in rows. "Are we…going to get on one of those?" Sora stepped a few feet closer to get a better view. He even stood on his tip toes, which made Vincent chuckle again.

Vincent smiled softly. "Yes."

Sora grinned back at him. Not only was he super pumped that they were going to ride in one of those things, but it also made him happy that Vincent seemed happy. Despite his AMPLE attempts at starting conversations along the way, Vincent had been rather moody. Still, the young Turk held a certain sadness in his eyes despite the smile on his lips. "I'm gonna change that, ya know…"

Vincent raised a puzzled brow. "Change what, Sora?"

"I'm going to make you smile." Sora walked over and stood beside Vincent. When that made Vincent frown, Sora reached up to try to grab the man's lips to force them in the position. "If only you weren't so darn tall…" Sora threw his arms down when he realized Vincent's height too much for him. He turned his back toward Vincent. "But I'm going to make you smile. REALLY smile."

"We'll see about that." Vincent snorted as he began to walk off.

"HEY!" Sora scrambled after him. "Wait up!" Sora stumbled in step with Vincent. "I'm sorry, Vincent…I didn't mean to make you mad!" But Sora noticed that Vincent's attention wasn't on him. His eyes were scanning the dock for something. He noticed his hand slowly drifted toward his gun. Sora's eyes got wide. Sora lifted his hand to shield his eyes as he looked around the dock for anything out of place. Nothing looked out of place, he thought, but this was the first time he'd ever been to the docks either. "What do you see, Vincent?"

"I'm not mad at you." Vincent mumbled quietly as he checked his gun. "The docks are known for a lot of crime." He looked down at Sora. "Stay close."

Sora nodded sagely as the two of them approached the ticket boot set by the large ships.

"One adult and one child to the other continent." Vincent said simply as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. Sora noticed that the wallet never Vincent's hands.

"We're full." A rough looking man with a cigar puffed back at both of them. "You'll have to wait 'til tomorrow."

"How can a ship that large be full?!" Vincent slammed his wallet down on the counter, causing it to fall onto the dock. Sora tried to get Vincent's attention, but the man was too entrenched in his argument to pay attention to him.

The burly man rolled his eyes. "Look, buddy. There's a big do aboard that ship, and I ain't messin' with them. They said only people with an invitation are aboard today. You're gonna have to sail tomorrow."

Sora yawned. This conversation was getting old quick. He stuck Vincent's wallet in his pocket, when he heard someone hiss. "Hey, kid…" When Sora turned, he found a dirty young man with a scruffy beard leaning against a tower of cargo freights. "C'mere."

Sora raised a wary eyebrow as he took a few steps closer. "What do you want?" Sora asked nervously.

"I need some help…" The man coughed pitifully. "My little girl…hasn't eaten in a long time…" He began. "Can you spare some money for me and my girl?"

"I dunno." Sora glanced back at Vincent nervously. "It's not my money…Its Vincent's."

The man began to wobble on shaky legs toward Sora. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind…" As he reached toward Sora, Sora took a few steps backwards. "We need to eat. Everybody needs to eat…" Tears began to roll down the man's face. "My little girl is so hungry…"

Sora began to thumb Vincent's wallet in his pocket. Vincent wouldn't mind helping to feed a little girl, would he? The little girl is starving and her Dad was crying in front of his eyes! Sora took one last glance at Vincent and reached into his pocket for the wallet. He opened the wallet and looked inside. He would just give the man a little bit…A little bit wouldn't hurt, right? Just enough to get them something to eat? A confused look crossed his face as he peered deep down into the depths of leather wallet.

"Hurry up, kid!" The man hounded him in a scratchy voice. "I'm not supposed to be doing this. If they catch me, I'll get in trouble!"

Sora looked down at the wallet. "I don't know which one is the smallest bill…" Sora whined.

"I can help!" The man offered as he inched even closer. Sora held the wallet up as he peered inside. "This one is the smallest!" He said as he yanked the bill out with two greasy fingers. Sora looked down inside the wallet. There were still several other bills in the wallet. He wouldn't miss one. When he looked back up, he found the man nowhere to be found. "Hmph." Sora sighed as he turned around and stuck the wallet in his pocket."He must have gone to get some food." He shrugged and guessed he better get back to Vincent before he got in trouble.

When he returned to the booth, he heard Vincent sigh in reluctance. "I suppose we will have to sail tomorrow, then, if Shin-Ra in involved." He muttered. He looked down at Sora.

"You dropped your wallet, Vincent." Sora handed it back to him.

"Thanks." Vincent muttered as he stuck it back in his pocket. "I suppose we'll have to go get something to eat and stay at an Inn for the night." He sighed.

"That doesn't sound so bad!" Sora grinned at Vincent.

"No, it doesn't…" Vincent shrugged his shoulders. "I just hope the Turks don't catch up with us in the meantime…"

~oOo~

Vincent couldn't say that he was glad enough to get off the docks. As the smell of rotten fish and burned diesel gave way to fresh air and smiling faces, Vincent finally felt himself exhale. They'd made their way into the main street of an aging town where Sora's nose had, ironically, led them into another family owned diner. Unlike the first one, this one was teeming with locals and fisherman alike who liked to spend their mornings drinking coffee and chatting about the weather. Their meal had progressed much like any other had, minus the fact that Sora seemed a little quiet. Vincent figured that it was due to him shoving food in his mouth at epic speeds. Vincent couldn't say that he blamed the boy. The last time he'd eaten was two bowls of ice cream that he had ordered for himself and Lucrecia the day before. How so much could change in two days was beyond him: He'd left the Shin-Ra, rescued a naïve young boy, and was on the run from the people he once worked with him. Life was never boring for him, that was for sure.

"Hey Vincent," Sora paused between shoving another forkful of pancakes into his mouth. "What gives?"

Vincent merely shrugged. "Just thinking…" Vincent watched as Sora looked down into his lap. His young face was betraying something that looked very similar to guilt. Vincent narrowed his eyes as he sipped his coffee. "What gives with you?"

"NOTHING!" Sora dropped his fork in surprise.

"Uh-huh…" Something was definitely wrong, Vincent thought to himself. Vincent leaned backwards in the booth. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips. The interesting thing about Sora was that he really didn't have to say anything at all. All he had to do was sit there and wait patiently. He could tell that Sora's guilt was working hard on him. It would only be a matter of time. Seconds turned into minutes as Sora picked at his pancakes and shuffled in his seat. "Is there something you want to tell me, Sora?" Vincent looked at him from across the table.

Sora flashed one of the worst fake grins that Vincent had ever seen. It was almost laughable. "Nope!" He shook his head vigorously.

Vincent snorted as he saw the waiter come across the diner with their check in hand. As soon as he sat it down, Sora slammed a gloved hand ontop of it. "Hehheh…Uh Vincent…There's something I want to tell you now."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Sora rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You see…There was this guy…"

"And?" Vincent leaned on the table in impatience. The waiter was watching this with interest.

"And I kinda sorta gave them some money from your wallet because he said his daughter hadn't eaten in like a week and…"

"YOU WHAT?!" Vincent leapt to his feet and quickly shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. When he found it, he jerked it open. Vincent's eyes went wide.

"The guy said he took the smallest bill!" Sora sunk in his seat.

"He took the largest!" Vincent showed Sora the wallet. By that time, half of the diner had turned around to watch the spectacle.

"I didn't know!" Sora cried out as he clenched the sides of the table. "I don't know anything about your money! He said his daughter needed help!"

"Ugh…" Vincent swore under his breath as he slumped in the booth before looked at Sora with large, accusing eyes. "Sora, he robbed you! There's not enough money here for an Inn or to even pay the dinner bill!"

"I'm sorry…" Sora whispered. "I was just trying to help…"

At the mention of money, the red-faced managed came flying over with an apron clenched in his fists. "If you cannot the bill, you will work your bill off!" He slammed his fists on the table surprising both Vincent and Sora. "Or do I need to call the police?"

Vincent grabbed the apron from the manager. "That won't be necessary." He muttered as he marched off toward the kitchen.

"And YOU…" He glared down Sora until his spikeyhead barely showed above the table. "You're going to be our busboy tonight."

~oOo~

Vincent spent much of the next few hours grumbling to himself as he washed dish after dirty dish. How someone could be that STUPID? Vincent threw the rag down in the sink as he grabbed another bucket full of dishes from Sora. The thief must have spotted  
Sora a mile away. And how could a diner be this damn busy?! He slammed his fists back into the water, causing it to splash out of the sink wildly.

"If you break anything, you're paying for it." The manager reminded him as he walked past.

Vincent fumed. He supposed it was his own fault, traveling with a child and not keeping his eye on him one hundred percent of the time. And what had Sora said? He was trying to help? Vincent sighed as he threw the dishtowel over his shoulder. "At least he wasn't trying to screw things up on purpose…" He muttered. But what were they going to do about money? They obviously couldn't sail to the next continent without money for tickets. He leaned against the wall and sighed.

No, it wasn't Sora's fault, he had to remind himself. Sora was a very naïve child at best and one that was not used to the betrayals of this world. Vincent shook his head. "What it must be like to live that kind of existence..."He pressed his lips together. It was an even greater reason for him to stick with the boy, he sighed. He couldn't be left to his own devices. He realized that a lot of his anger was also from the exhaustion of losing Lucrecia and trying to stay ahead of the Turks. It was something that he was sure Sora had semblance of an idea what was going on, but he wasn't sure Sora understood the severity of it. Sora knew their lives were danger, but it was like it hadn't sunk in. The boy was eternally…happy, and that seemed anger Vincent all over again, although he couldn't say why.

He noticed a waitress was watching him from the order window and went back to the dish tank. He wasn't all that surprised when she opened the kitchen doors and walked in. "That kid is really something…" She said with a smile on her face.

"He sure is…."Vincent muttered as tried to wash the dishes without angrily breaking something.

"No, really!" The waitress put a hand on Vincent's shoulder, causing Vincent to turn. He was surprised she was smiling. "We haven't been this busy in ages!"

"I can tell…"Vincent spat as he put another dish in the rack.

"No, you don't understand…" She grabbed his arm. "It's the boy…It's Sora…" Vincent raised an eyebrow at that. "I don't know what it is, but he's got everyone in the place laughing and smiling. They're giving huge tips!"

"That's good for you…" Vincent muttered.

"No, good for all of us!" She smiled. "The boss said we're going to get bonuses tonight….and especially you and Sora." Vincent nearly dropped a plate in the sink. "Go look out there!" Vincent ran to the window and found Sora standing on his hands with a tray full of dirty dishes balanced on each foot. Vincent's eyes widened as he began to bolt for the kitchen door to stop him. The young waitress caught him by the arm. "No, don't!" She looked Vincent in the eye. "He hasn't broken anything yet."

"Keyword there is 'yet'." Vincent tugged his arm out of his grip.

"Let him continue…" She pleaded with Vincent as she looked him in the eye. "The children think it's the funniest thing they've ever seen…The men are placing bets to see how much he can carry…Even the women are treating him like he's their son." She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it. Even grumpy Mr. Evans smiled! I haven't seen him smile since his wife died!"

Vincent took another glance out of the order window and found Sora returning to a normal, upright position. He turned and waved at Vincent, who awkwardly waved back, stupefied. He looked back the young waitress, who begged, "Please don't make him stop." She pleaded with her eyes. "Just wait an hour until we close…You'll see."

"But…"

"Just one hour?" She cocked her head to the side.

Vincent sighed as he reluctantly walked back to the dish tank, too tired to argue any further. He pulled the dish rag off of his shoulder. "Yeah, we'll see." He muttered.

~oOo~

An hour came and went with Vincent becoming curiouser and curiouser. He hadn't heard any crashes, although it was hard to tell with all of the laughter coming from the dining hall. He had some time to cool off, and the laughter echoing from the hall had a positive effect on his mood, if only slightly. He was exhausted and was nowhere close to finding a solution to where they could stay the night. As the diner finally closed and the patrons all filed out, all of the employees gathered by the front counter to receive their share of the night's pay. They were all chattering about how it had been such a wild day, and when Vincent emerged from the kitchen, the owner came and shook Vincent's hand personally.

"Your son is…out of this world." The owner kept shaking Vincent's hand until he finally had to pull it away.

"He's not…" Vincent tiredly stopped himself. The truth was too complicated to explain. "Thank you." He finally said.

"No, thank YOU!" The owner grinned. "And I'm sorry the manager treated you so poorly." The balding owner looked repentant. "He's been dealt with."

"Thank goodness for that!" The waiter called out, causing several of the other employees to laugh. "What a jerk…"He muttered.

"Vincent!" Vincent heard Sora's voice as he leapt over the bar and hugged him around the waist.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that…" Vincent muttered so only the two of them could hear. Sora only giggled.

"So do you forgive me?" Sora looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

Vincent cleared his throat, feeling the eyes of the restaurant's employees on the two of them. "Of course, I do…" He finally relented. For some reason that Vincent couldn't fathom, it was hard to stay angry at the boy for long. He reached down and mussed Sora's hair until it was a spikey mess." But we're going to have to work on how we deal with strangers…" He muttered, causing several of the employees to chuckle.

"They're not strangers…" He turned around. "That's Mark…That's Joe…And that's Kay…And…" Several of the diner employees waved awkwardly at Vincent as Sora rattled off more names. "And that's Steve!"

The owner chuckled. "Now that we've been properly introduced," He grinned. "I'm sure everyone would like to go home, so here is your pay for the night…" The owner handed Vincent the money, and his eyes got big. There had to be three hundred gil there, more than enough for a stay at the Inn and their tickets.

The owner looked down, guilty. "I have to admit something to you: I kept you here longer than necessary because business was so good." He looked down at his shoes. "I don't have any right to ask you this, but…Would you…consider staying?"

Vincent was so overwhelmed that he didn't know what to say. He only shook his head in dismissal and smiled slightly. "We've got to be moving on to the other continent."

"It was fun, though!" Sora grinned back toward the others.

The owner leaned down to Sora's level. "You can come back and do it any time you want." He grinned and then winked at Vincent. "We'd be glad to have you."

"Thank you." Vincent nodded and truly meant it. "But we better head to the Inn, if there is a room left for us…" He sighed.

"I know the Inn Keeper." The owner smiled. "I made sure there was a room for you."

It was Vincent's turn to be truly surprised as he laid a hand on Sora's shoulders protectively. "Thank you." Vincent mumbled. He was humbled by their generosity. Were there actually good people left in this world?

"You better be going, though." The owner grinned as he patted Sora on the head. "I'm sure its way past your bedtime…"

Vincent began to steer Sora out of the door by his shoulder. "Oh, he never stops, unfortunately."

"Bye Joe! Bye Mark! Bye Kay!" Vincent rolled his eyes as Sora continued to rattle off more of the employees' names. He finally pushed Sora out of the door, causing a fury of laughter behind them.

~oOo~

Lucrecia Crescent felt like she and the Professor had been in the surgical suite for hours. When they wheeled Pretty Boy in on the gurney, she found his wounds even more gruesome than what she had previously imagined. She had worked tirelessly to give the Professor assistance, but all the while, she had a deep seated feeling that something was wrong. The wounds that the patient had suffered were lacerations. As she worked over his entire prone form, she'd found no signs of bullet wounds. Vincent didn't work with any other weapon. There were other signs as well. The Professor had been unseasonably happy and had hummed through almost the entire procedure. He was almost giddy while he worked unhindered on the body. Lucrecia had kept her mouth shut until now, but the questions that kept rolling around in her mind became increasingly louder and her internal warning bells clanged with greater determination and urgency.

"Professor?" She asked timidly. She didn't quite understand why she was so afraid of the Professor, the man she man loved, at that moment. She knew he had a temper, and the fact that he was holding a scalpel really did not put her at ease.

She watched as he looked up at wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Yes, Lucrecia?" He tone suddenly soured, making Lucrecia think twice about asking further questions.

"Why…" She paused, unsure of herself. "Why are we operating on this corpse?" When the Professor gave her nothing, but a withering look, she shrunk back into her stitching work on the body. She was surprised when she found him looking at her a moment later. His expression had changed from impatience to a more curious look.

"You know that Shin-Ra does not like to waste, my dear." He shrugged as he picked up the scalpel again. "Rebuilding Percival keeps the company from having to re-train another Turk." He muttered. "Although, why we even need them is beyond me…You could give a monkey a gun and expect the same results."

Lucrecia dropped the needle. "…his name was Percival?" She asked quietly. She had never known his real name. Everyone had always referred to him as "Pretty Boy" due to his gorgeous looks. She picked up the needle and looked down at his face. He sure wouldn't be gorgeous now with several large gashes now running across his genteel face. Lucrecia also noticed that the Professor had ignored her question completely.

"This also creates an excellent opportunity to test some of our performance enhancing theories." Lucrecia nodded slowly as the Professor seemed to smile beneath his surgical mask again. She resisted the urge to shake her head. Reviving a cadaver was not an ideal way to test these new theories. It broke conventionally accepted methods of permission, to start with. A cadaver could not give permission to these…additions to his body, but then, wasn't it as the Professor said? If it were not for them, he would never have his life back. They would fix any sort of complication, wouldn't they?

Suddenly, Lucrecia felt her needle hit something hard that jarred her out of her thoughts. She narrowed her eyes as she felt the Professor look up at her curiously. She reached her index and middle fingers into the incision and pulled out what looked to be a tooth fragment. Her eyes widened as she realized that whatever it came from, was not humanoid.

"What did you find?" Professor asked.

"Bone fragment." She shrugged innocently as she quickly stuck it her lab coat pocket.

"Ah." The Professor nodded as he looked back down at the body. "Nothing important, then."

Lucrecia shook her head. Her heart was racing on the inside, and she struggled to keep a calm demeanor on the inside. She had been correct. Nothing human had done this to Pretty Boy, so the question remained: What happened to Vincent and why had the Professor lied about it?

"I can get the rest without you, Lucrecia." He muttered as he looked up at her. "There is nothing more that you can do here."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise as her heart skipped a beat. Did he know she suspected something? She swallowed a rising lump in her throat. "Please, Professor, I would like to continue to assist you." She said awkwardly.

He chuckled slightly to himself. "Lucrecia darling, it is after midnight…" She turned and looked at the clock. It was indeed, after midnight, but she didn't feel the least bit sleepy. "I know you must be tired."

"I'm not!" She blurted out, causing the Professor to chuckle again. "Please listen. Your hands are shaking." He soothingly as he laid the scalpel down. Lucrecia had the distinct feeling that she was being dismissed. She didn't want to leave. She had a feeling deep within her gut that something was going to happen in her absence. Something she needed to know. Vincent had always told her to trust those feelings.

She watched him walk around the table and lean toward her. She flinched, but he kissed her anyway. "Good night, dear." His tone was finite. He stared at her and waited for her to leave. She realized that he wasn't going to do another thing until she left. She sighed heavily.

"I suppose you're right…" She gave him her best fake smile. "I'm more tired than I thought I was…." He merely nodded as she turned around and slowly walked out of the surgical suite. As the door closed behind her, she pulled the tooth fragment out of her pocket. If anything, this would give her more time to research where this came from. She took one last glance back at the door and shivered.


End file.
